Natural calamity in the shape of September floods moved the heart of entire nation. Individual Indians, organizations, institutions, corporate houses, Government agencies and some Indian Diaspora one and all contributed frugally to Kashmir relief fund or to Prime Minister’s Relief Friend. The PM, who had flown in immediately and had aerial survey of the devastation sanctioned one thousand crore rupees towards relief. Indian army, air force and NDMA all moved in to help people overcome the tragedy.
But the scenario that has come to light after the status report filed by the Joint Adviser, National Disaster Management Authority of Home Ministry before the State High Court, casts grave aspersions on the State Government in being honest in reaching the only genuine sufferers and not making it an instrument to benefit the blue eyed persons. Out of 2.4 lakh claimed damaged houses, details of only 5,000 have been submitted to the Centre. The State sent a hard list of 16, 264 beneficiaries on November 3 to the NDMA but November 19 soft copy shows only 9800 beneficiaries whose houses were damaged. Banks have rejected 284 cases for doubtful details of beneficiaries. 800 cases have been sent to State Government for re-verification. 3200 cases are pending for incomplete account details and no account details of 4300 cases have been sent at all. 1780 cases have been sent for re-verification that payment is not made to wrong persons. 500 cases mostly from Srinagar city show multiple beneficiaries for one damaged house with one account name.
The status report raises many questions on the integrity and fair play of the State Government in addressing the plight of the sufferers of September floods. We strongly recommend that only genuine sufferers should be provided all assistance possible and as early as possible while fake and forged beneficiaries should be dealt with under law for misleading the Government and giving false statements. State officers who were supposed to carry on spot verification should also be called to book for gross negligence of duty and deliberately misinforming the Government. The only silver lining in the case before the High Court is that the Court has ordered the State Government to provide shelter sheds to the needy by the end of this year.
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