In the aftermath of September floods, an impression has been created that the Centre did not come up with adequate relief and support to the flood ravaged state and that the misery of the people could not be mitigated without loss of time. Such charges are not infrequent even in normal course of things. The wrong impression continues because concerned authorities are not in any mood of putting the record straight.
Here is one glaring example of how the State Government would like to pass on the buck to the Central Government. Within days of the flood ravages that struck the city of Srinagar and other parts of the Valley, Union Ministry of Tourism rose to the occasion and sanctioned 100 crore rupees as a special grant for rebuilding damaged infrastructure of tourist industry in the State especially in the Valley. This was in addition to 127 crore rupees Central Financial Assistance that had been sanctioned in normal course of allocations to the tourist industry. It was specifically stated by the Union Tourism Ministry that hundred crore rupees would be provided and a study needed to be conducted to assess the damages done and the proposals for recovery and rejuvenation of the industry. The State Government was asked to begin the assessment exercise and submit the Detailed Project Report.
It is common sense that unless the Union Ministry had a detailed report on the damages to infrastructure and how this would be overcome, it would not be able to release the funds. Unfortunately, the State Government did not take the case seriously as it should have been. It wasted many months and still the DPR did not materialize. Actually assessment of damages is the task which only expert persons or organizations can undertake. The State Tourism Department did not take the case of calling for tenders to carry out the study as seriously as it should have. This is reflected in the Tourism Department issuing the tender notice just one day before the last day of submitting tenders. How could it expect to receive tenders within 12 hours? Obviously, there must have been a purpose behind it. With that the Tourism Department left the matter where it was and did not understand that the State was loosing a hefty amount of one hundred crore rupees which would have injected new blood into the veins of the State tourist industry.
How can one justify the lackadaisical attitude of the State Government in regard to reconstruction of the State after flood ravages? Many doubts are raised whether the State Government was seriously interested in bringing relief to the people and the institutions that had suffered the ravages of floods. It is easy to bring the blame to the doorsteps of the Union Government for not performing its role as was expected. Looking in retrospect, we find that the Union Government was more interested in providing relief and rehabilitation of the State after it had gone through the suffering and devastation.
Tourism is very important economic mainstay of the State especially of the valley of Kashmir. It is in this background that the Union Ministry of Tourism had taken special view of the situation and wasted no time in sanctioning additional grants by way of relief and reconstruction. The State Government should have take time by forelock and utilised this opportunity in providing means of sustenance to hundreds of families in the valley and elsewhere. The loss, ultimately, has been of the people of the State.
We can say that Assembly elections should not have become an obstruction to the Government in preparing the detailed project report. After all administrative business does not come to a halt with Assembly or Parliamentary elections. We have to raise our finger towards the state officials, who have failed to come up to the expectations of the people of the state. We feel that instead of passing the buck, concerned departments should join heads and discuss how the hefty amount of one hundred crore rupees can be best utilised for developing tourist infrastructure in the State.
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