Govt failed to rehabilitate flood-hit people of State, says Omar

SRINAGAR : Former chief minister Omar Abdullah today described as “theatrics” the war of words between PDP minister Altaf Bukhari and deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh and alleged that the State Government has failed to rehabilitate thousands of flood-hit people.

“As a fixed-match, a Cabinet minister in the PDP-BJP Government has opposed the Deputy Chief Minister’s statement and expressed shock. These theatrics cannot absolve the PDP-BJP Government of its unforgivable failure of ensuring the rehabilitation of thousands of flood victims,” the NC working said.

Omar was addressing a party workers’ meeting at Gagerpora, Narbal in his Beerwah Assembly constituency in central Kashmir.

Bukhari yesterday attacked the Deputy Chief Minister over his alleged comments that “Rs 3,600 crore was sufficient for rehabilitation of flood victims”.

Today, the Deputy CM denied having said that Rs 3,600 crore was the final rehabilitation package for the victims of last year’s floods in Kashmir.

Omar said that both PDP and BJP, including its legislators and Cabinet ministers, were part of a Government that has “abandoned” the flood victims and gone to the extent of “rubbing salt” into their wounds by dispensing 47 rupees cheques.

“The PDP-BJP Government had completely failed in its responsibility towards compensating and rehabilitating flood victims even as nine months have passed since the September deluge. There is no sign of a relief and rehabilitation package for the flood victims from the Centre,” he said. (AGENCIES)