Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Feb 24: Jammu and Kashmir High Court today directed the State Government to bring the norms about declaring a house fully damaged, severely damaged or partially damaged before the Court and furnish the account details of affected family heads to Central Government so that amount be deposited in their favour.
The Division Bench of High Court comprising Justice MH Attar and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey directed the Government to produce before the court those norms which have been fixed to declare a fully damaged or partially damaged house due to the floods in September last year.
“In order to streamline the issue, learned counsel for the respondents to produce the compliance report as also copy of norms fixed for declaring a house fully damaged, severely damaged or partially damaged, by or before next date”, court directed
This direction has been passed after the petitioner Counsel Jahangir Iqbal Ganaie raised the issue of the houses that standing but have been declared unsafe by the Government. He further submitted that Government has not categorized these houses as fully damaged houses so that their owners could have got compensation as is fixed for fully damaged houses.
With regard to financial assistance as compensation for Pucca houses and Kucchha houses by the National Disaster Management Authority New Delhi (NDMA) court has been apprised that Rs 92.26 crores have been deposited directly to the bank accounts of 13, 365 beneficiaries.
Giving the details of payment of compensation by NDMA a district wise report has been filed before the court in which Jammu has been provided Rs. 6.17 crore, Bandipora Rs 2.84 crore, Doda Rs 32.50 lakhs, Udhampur Rs 3.66 crore, Kishtwar Rs 7 lakhs, Shopian Rs 16 lakhs, Ramban Rs 1.45 crore, Rajouri Rs 10.36 crore, Anantnag Rs 6.91 crore, Kulgam Rs 1.91 crore, Baramulla Rs 1.79 crore, Budgam Rs 4.85 crore, Srinagar Rs 32.24 crore, Kupwara Rs 1.50 lakh, Reasi Rs 7.27 crore, Pulwama Rs 4.53 crore, Kathua Rs 1.60 crore and Poonch Rs 5.40 crore.
Union counsel Showkat Makroo submitted before the court that 4, 000 victims could not be paid the compensation amount for the reason that the account numbers of the heads of families have not been furnished by the State Government till date.
“Mr Chashoo AAG, submitted that necessary information will be furnished within two weeks so as to enable the competent authority (Central Government) to transfer the compensation amount into the accounts of the victims”, reads the order.
Court in this behalf directed the Commissioner Secretary Revenue to file his compliance report by or before next date.
Court granted last opportunity of four weeks to the Government in a PIL wherein punishment has been sought against officials for committing criminal negligence in the last year floods and its aftermath. AG on last hearing of the matter had submitted before the court that the then Chief Minister of State had already requested the Prime Minister for investigation of the matter and the same is awaited.
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