Excelsior Correspondent
Jammu, Sept 27: National Panthers Party today staged a massive demonstration outside Raj Bhawan here in protest against the criminal negligence and despicable apathy shown by the State Govt. in dealing with the tragic situation caused in the State due to unprecedented rains and floods that caused havoc in the state.
The protest demonstration was led by Harshdev Singh NPP chairman and MLA and included Balwant Singh Mankotia MLA and State president, Yash Paul Kundal, MLA besides other senior leaders of the party including Anita Thakur, Bansi Lal Sharma, Varinder Singh, Vilakshan Singh, Rajesh Padotra, Puspinder Manhas, Gagan Partap, Yash Paul Singh Manhas, Jagdev Singh besides others.
NPP which had announced hunger strike in front of Raj Bhawan with Balwant Singh Mankotia starting it on Sept 27, had shelved the same following the Supreme Court order forming a five member committee and directing the State Govt. to take concrete steps and undertake proper assessment of the damages within two weeks to be followed by appropriate measures for adequate relief and rehabilitation of the victims of the calamity.
Speaking on the occasion, Harshdev Singh lambasted the State Govt. for its inefficiency in ensuring provision of essential commodities, rations, relief and life saving medicines to the survivors of the worst ever catastrophe that struck the State. He said that despite repeated announcements made by the Central and State Govts. the affected areas particularly the remote and far flung areas had remained deprived of any kind of relief and rehabilitation measures. He said that the Union Govt. had announced Rs. 1100 crore under State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), Rs. 1000 crore as Relief package, Rs. 200 crore for restoration of roads and water supply schemes, Rs. 100 crore for affected Tourism infrastructure besides hundreds of crores provided by various other State govts. for assistance and rehabilitation of the victims of the worst ever natural calamity.
Balwant Singh Mankotia regretted that most parts of the state hit by the natural calamity have witnessed dumping of essential commodities at various places without distributing the same to the affected persons with the result that they had rotten. He said that the recent consignments of foodgrains sent by Chattisgarh Govt. in 32 railways coaches were dumped at Udhampur and decayed after they were kept in rains without any protection. He said that careless attitude towards the relief material sent by other States for flood survivors spoke volumes about the Govt’s apathy towards the foodgrains and efforts made by the persons from donor States.
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