Excelsior Correspondent
MENDHAR, Nov 4: National Conference workers held a strong protest here against the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti as injured persons along with affected villagers from Balakote sector due to Pakistani shelling, were made to keep waiting at Bhimber Gali for long and the Chief Minister did not turn up.
The Chief Minister who was on the tour of border areas of Rajouri Poonch was scheduled to visit BG and the local administration from Mendhar had asked families of firing victims to reach there along with injured persons and also those who have suffered losses in the shelling in Mankote and Balakote area. They reached there at around 11 am and were kept waiting up to round 3.30 pm. Then they were told by officers SDM, Mendhar and ASP Poonch that CM was not coming and has gone ahead to Poonch.
MLA Mendhar from Javed Rana (NC) was irked over the decision and he moved to the Mendhar town. Later, people of Balakote area and Mankote besides Mendhar led by NC MLA held protest at Mendhar Chowk and raised slogans against CM and PDP-BJP Govt.
Javed Rana while addressing the gathering expressed dismay at what he called ” insensitive and cosmetic” visit of Chief Minister and PHE Minister to the shelling hit areas of Pir Panjal region, especially Balakote and Mendhar.
Mr Rana who has been pleading for rehabilitation of people from worst hit villages along LoC in Balakote sector and has been critical of the absence of any senior Government functionaries to Mendhar said, “I am aghast at the invitation of administration to shelling victims to come to Bhimber Gali (BG) to meet the Chief Minister”, further adding that one expected a more sympathetic and warm treatment to the innocent victims at this difficult hour.
Instead of meeting the injured admitted in SDH Mendhar, several injured and their relatives were called to turn up at BG, on Jammu-Poonch highway, to meet the Chief Minister. He accused the PDP-BJP alliance of leaving the LoC villagers at the mercy of Pak Rangers.
Rana urged the State Govt to put in place an effective rehabilitation plan for villagers living in most vulnerable pockets of Balakote Sector. He also rued the criminal delay in construction of Pakka bunkers as repeatedly promised by the several senior functionaries.
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