Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Sept 14: Many villagers from remote and inaccessible areas of Reasi, Rajouri, Ramban and Udhampur are facing starvation as neither the relief material, nor the routine CAPD ration supply has been provided to them, exposing the tall claims of the Administration while at some places the villagers have refused to accept ‘inadequate ration kits’ air-dropped by the Government.
Being cut off from the respective Tehsil, Divisional and District headquarters, the people from many far-flung villages and hamlets are forced to face starvation due to lack of response of respective district administrations in certain pockets. Compelled by the circumstances they are forced to live on dry maize grains. Not to speak of relief material, they have not even received routine CAPD ration supply. Even the public in some areas alleged discrimination and maintained that the District Administration was focusing on the favourite areas on behest of some legislators and politicians.
Sarpanch Bashir Ahmed from Chaklas area of Mahore told the Excelsior that around 20-25 houses have been damaged extensively in his Panchayat. Some families are sitting in the open while a few have been accommodated by the villagers in their own houses. They have lost their household items, their cattle, money etc and have been facing starvation. No tents, blankets, food material/ ration etc have been provided by the Government so far. He said insufficient ration/ relief material said to have been airdropped at Jamslan, Shajru and Budan villages in Mahore but the people of Chaklas have been ignored. Not only this the people from several hamlets in the area have been left unattended. He also alleged that no Revenue official has visited the area so far.
In Upper and Lower Madah Panchayats of remote Thakrakote area (Reasi) nearly 500 families are facing starvation. Village Numberdar Shiv Dass told the Excelsior that this far-flung area falling in Arnas has been ignored. About 60 % houses have been fully or partially damaged. The District Administration does not have the exact details as no Revenue official has visited here in last eight days.
The people are looking for any help/ relief from the District Administration or the Army but no one has reached so far. He said the people have nothing to eat. Those who lost their homes have also lost all they had. They have been accommodated in some houses while some are still staying in open. Over 1800 souls of this belt have been forced to face starvation.
“For them, there is no Government at all as neither ration, nor electricity or water supply is being provided to them. There is no health care facilities or any road link to the area. The helpless people have been left on the mercy of God. Daily they spend their day looking into the sky for any chopper coming to them with relief in last one week but get dejected at the end of the day, return with no hope. Their woes are aggravating with consumption of all the food material they had with them and now they are heading towards hunger,” Mr Dass added.
Similar reports have been received from Judda, Thuroo Pathian (Arnas), Beulian Panchayat, Sangarh and Pora Kotla (Pouni), Mallikote, Chassana area besides some areas of Gulabgarh (Mahore). Sarpanch Pal Chand from Kotla has alleged that many houses have perished in recent rains and land slides. Their number could be around 18.
The families have turned homeless. Some houses have partially damaged and turned unsafe. No Revenue official has visited the area. The people are still waiting for relief. There is no ration with them. The Tehsil Pouni administration has failed to reach up to them. There is strong resentment among the public. He demanded that ration and other relief material be rushed to the area and respective administration units be pulled for slackness.
Meanwhile, the road link to Pouni and Bharakh areas was restored last evening but Ransoo and other areas were still cut off. There was no power and water supply in the area and people of over 20 Panchayats were badly suffering. There was immediate need to rush ration, kerosene oil and LPG cylinders supply to this entire belt.
The road link to Shiv Khori (Ransoo) is needed to be restored without any more delay. The people from Mallas, Jamaslan and other parts of Mahore and Gulabgarh have alleged that the relief material/ ration provided to them was not sufficient and with large families they are unable to feed members even for a week. They demanded that all the link roads be restored and supplies through trucks/ mini-trucks be ensured in the area.
Tehsildar Pouni, Munshi Ram however, claimed that he along with some staff himself visited certain affected areas and also distributed enough relief material including tents and blankets in Pouni tehsil. He said that two Patwaris of his area Riaz-ul-Haq and Shah Nawaz were also placed under suspension by the District Administration for being absent from duty and not conducting assessment. But the two Sarpanchs and a Numberdar of the area alleged that they have not seen any Revenue official in their area so far. They also dismissed the claim of Tehsildar having provided relief to these above mentioned villages of Pouni Tehsil. The people from Tanda Morha near Dera Baba who have turned homeless after landslide have also alleged that no adequate relief was being provided to them by the Government. They said that they have been taking refuge at Dera and no tents and sufficient blankets and ration has been provided while they lost everything in the land slides as their houses turned into debris.
While the Dy Commissioner Reasi, Shabir Ahmed Bhat claimed to have disbursed about 442 quintals of ration to the affected people of remote areas of Arnas, Bhamag and Mahore, the village Numberdars and Sarpanchs from many areas have alleged that District Administration failed to reach up to them. The DC further claimed that he has identified 34 inaccessible and far flung locations and more than seventy percent of them have been covered. In some areas, the air dropping through choppers was not possible and the material was dropped to some other adjoining locations for them.
Reports from Manjakote area of Rajouri said that affected villagers from remote Seri Hatta area near LoC refused to lift 120 small bags of ration which was air-dropped by the Choppers. Sarpanch Wazir Mohd said that this relief material including 10 kg Atta, 5 kg rice, one kg sugar, small packet of powder milk and 100 gm tea packets were airdropped for each family at nearby Army location. Many food kits got damaged and torn while being dropped from the height. He said that quantum of losses was much and many people have got affected. The villagers refused to lift ration and they returned without accepting that ration. They alleged that it was cruel joke with them to provide such a meager quantity of ration even after 8-9 days of damages caused to their houses.
Similar reports have been received from many areas of Khawas, Kandi-Budhal and Kotranka in Rajouri and parts of Dudu-Basantgarh, Ramnagar, Lati and Bhamag and Landhar in Udhampur besides Gool, Assar and Mohu Mangat area of Ramban. Even people from Keri and Doongi Garati of Rajouri areas have alleged that many houses have been damaged but they were still waiting for the relief to reach their places. People from Gonda, Targain and about seven Panchayats in Khawas area besides many parts of Budhal which is still blocked due to washing away of bridge at Kotranka, have alleged severe shortage of ration.
The people have alleged that till today, the Administration has failed to reach up to them. Kotli Kalaban in Manjakote area of Rajouri having large population has also been suffering badly. The people have lauded Army having helped them and even providing some ration and water supply besides shelter but have strong resentment against State Government for slow pace of relief and restoration work in this entire hilly and mountainous belt. They alleged that their public representatives are also missing. Babu Ram Sarpanch from Muradpur near Rajouri alleged that nearly 75 houses have been damaged but no relief has been received so far by the affected people. Hafiz Mohd from Atta Seri area of Gambir Muglan alleged that affected people of the area have provided no relief so far by the Administration. A senior official from the District administration claimed that ration and relief material was being disbursed to many areas and the process was going on. It will take some time as many roads are yet to be restored.
Meanwhile, in District Jammu the district authorities claimed to have distributed over 2000 blankets, 1500 tarpaulin, 1800 food packets, 56 quintal ration packets 356 packets of mineral bottle boxes, 960 biscuit boxes etc. An official spokesman said that enough relief material is being supplied to the relief camps at Phallain Mandal, Marh, Sure Chak, Sohanjana, Akhnoor Pargwal, Jourian, Khour, Hamirpura Kona, Dansal, Bhalwal and other areas of Jammu district. However, villagers from Tutein-di-Khui in Majalta have alleged that no relief has been provided to the affected people of the area. In two relief camps at Sure Chak in Sohanjana ( Phallain Mandal) area, the water entered during rain today. The Army jawans however, constructed drains to slush out water immediately.
Dy Commissioner Kathua Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said that adequate relief material has been disbursed among the affected people. He said that in the entire district PHE, PDD, Irrigation and Flood works worth Rs 23 crore have been damaged. He said that reports from various Divisions have been received by him and total 2043 works have been affected with the rains and floods.
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