Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 3: The displaced Pandits today clashed with police and resorted to stone pelting in protest against the failure of the authorities to provide medicare to the three youth who were sitting on fast unto death for last three days after their condition deteriorated this morning and against the enforcement of night long power cuts in the township.
The panic gripped the entire Jagti township this morning and all inmates rushed towards the dharna site when the news spread that the condition of one of the youth Sunil Pandita who was sitting on fast for last three days deteriorated. The people shifted all the three to local Health Centre for immediate medical aid to them. The protestors raising slogans against the Government and Relief Organisation held them responsible for the present plight of the displaced people in general and Jagti township inmates in particular.
The protestors resorted to stone pelting and also protested against the police. They alleged that one cop made an unprovoked remark against them. The situation went out of control for some time and the protesting mob also targeted a vehicle of Relief Organization and it suffered minor damage in stone pelting.
The Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner, R K Pandita who along with other officers of his organisation reached the spot has also to face the public ire and he was ghearoed by the mob for some time. His pleas to pacify the agitating mob failed to yield results and protesting mob demanded immediate restoration power supply to the camp and a time frame by which the relief will be announced.
Though the authorities tried a hard to shift the fasting youth to GMC Hospital Jammu but hundreds of protestors continued to ghearo the health center and did not allow them to shift the youth.
The Relief Commissioner along with other officers DySP and SHO Nagrota were camping in the township upto late night to solve the impasse. However the camp inmates remained adamant on their one point agenda.
The three youth Ajay Bhat, Sunil Pandita and Rajinder Pandita who were on fast unto death were administered glucose in the hospital. However the condition of the two youth is stated to be serious.
The tempers ran so high that the leaders of various political parties and KP organizations have to beat a hasty retreat as mob protested against their entry in the township and alleged that they failed to settle their problems.
The protestors alleged that the Jagti lacks basic amenities as the inmates of the township are facing total power cut during the night hours and despite the repeated pleas to the authorities no steps have been taken to improve the power supply in the township forcing the people to come to streets.
They also accused the Government of misleading the community on the enhancement of relief and said the promises and assurances given by the Government have proved hollow.
He said if the Government was not in a position to provide the basic amenities to the migrants at Jagti why they shifted us from erstwhile camps as after shifting to Jagti the problems of the community compounded.
However the power supply was later restored after the issue was taken up by Relief Commissioner with Divisional Commissioner Jammu and Relief and Revenue Minister, Raman Bhalla.
Mr Bhalla when contacted said that he took up the issue with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and sought his immediate intervention in settling the electricity problem of the Jagti township once for all.
Mr Bhalla said that he will take up the matter in next cabinet meeting also so that the problem is settled and the camp inmates of Jagti are relieved of the hardships. The Power problems is every where in Jammu region. However no night cut will be enforced on Jagti township, he added.
He said the CM agreed to provide power supply at Jagti as per previous conditions.
Panun Kashmir convener Dr Agnishekhar and Panun Kashmir general secretary Kuldeep Raina have stongly condemned the Govt attitude toward the relief holder and role of administration who failed in solving the problem of migrants who are on peaceful agitation.
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