Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 11: State president of National Panthers Party and MLA Udhampur Balwant Singh Mankotia called off his nine day fast (Annshann) after the relief distribution among the rain and flood affected people of the area commenced by the Administration with pace.
Addressing a press conference here this afternoon, the MLA said that he called off his `Annshann’ after the District Administration Udhampur started relief distribution work in the affected areas. He pointed out that earlier only photo-sessions by the officers were being observed while on ground the situation was very grim. Huge donations were received from the NGOs and other States but the same were not being distributed among the affected people.
Majority of the Revenue and other District officers were busy in making lists of the affected people and at many places they prepared lists without visiting the villages. The Panthers Party was watching this whole drama and forced to launch hunger strike (fast). He said it would be perhaps for the first time that any legislator went for such a long hunger strike in the State for the cause of the sufferers.
The MLA further demanded that tragedy due to rains, land slides and floods in the State should be declared as National Calamity under CDRF and people should be compensated without any discrimination. He said 90 % of the crops in Jammu region have been damaged due to rains and even floods, the farmers be provided adequate compensation. He also lauded the initiative of Supreme Court team which exposed the State Administration after going through the ground reality. Mr Mankotia demanded that relief distribution work should be under strict watch of the apex court and in very transparent manner.
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