Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Sept 7: Former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, today slammed Centre and State Governments, for failing to provide succor to last year’s flood victims.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a blood donation camp organized by National Conference at its party headquarters, Nawai Subah Complex, Omar said that State and Central Governments had made tall promises of providing relief to the people but till this day, we have got nothing.
“The Government has failed to keep its promises. Evidence of their inaction is visible everywhere. People who could afford have only done the repairs. People who lost in lakhs have been paid in thousands. Infrastructure remains destroyed”, said former Chief Minister.
Omar said that when the Centre was intending to give funds to the State Government, the PDP and BJP said those should be given to the elected Government. “The PDP-BJP Government promised aid to people but they didn’t deliver, when the funds were given to the State Government they said give it to a legitimately elected Government and now after 6 months we have got nothing”, he said.
On arresting the traders in midnight raids on the occasion of first anniversary of floods, the former Chief Minister warned that such actions will only alienate the people. He accused the ruling PDP of sabotaging the relief package for the State.
“In a series of midnight raids Mufti Sayeed has ensured the arrest of all the Trade Body leaders. Their crime? Unhappiness over flood relief”, Omar tweeted.
“All these people wanted to do was register their dissatisfaction at the absence of any meaningful flood relief. Shame on Mufti the Dictator,” Chief Minister tweeted.
Omar also took a dig at State Government’s plan to mark the floods anniversary as revival day. “If Mufti Sb was so sure people were going to celebrate as his Govt has planned today he wouldn’t have ordered these arrests (sic),” he tweeted. “Shows just how desperate they are for their “celebration” to succeed,” he said in another tweet.
“Is this democracy that the people who are protesting for their genuine demand are being arrested? This Government is making mockery of everything”, former Chief Minister said.
Omar said that on one hand an impression is being created that there is no money for flood victims but “on the other hand luxury cars worth crores of rupees are being purchased for Ministers and legislators.”
The former Chief Minister said that the biggest beneficiary of floods of 2014 was PDP. “This Party (PDP) exploited the misery of common people who were victims of devastating floods to come to power and after assuming power forgot them,” he said.
Omar said that his suggestion to Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed to lead an all party delegation to New Delhi for building pressure on Modi Government over release of rehabilitation package for Kashmir was never taken seriously.
“It was six months before that I suggested Mufti sahib about all-party delegation under his command which should go to New Delhi to discuss why rehabilitation package for J&K flood victims was delayed and to build a pressure for its early release. But I have not heard anything about it from Government and reasons better known to Mufti sahab,” the former Chief Minister said.
Omar accused PDP Government of sabotaging the talks process. “Peace is not holding at the LoC because we are not talking. The PDP Govt sabotaged the talks,” he said.
The opposition National Conference marked the day by holding a blood donation camp. Omar inaugurated the camp by donating blood and this was followed by blood donations by NC leaders and workers.
Meanwhile, National Conference working president Omar Abdullah sent a memorandum to Governor N N Vohra highlighting indifference of the Central and State Governments.
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