Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to flood-ravaged Kashmir on Diwali eve has given another blow to the Omar Abdullah-led coalition Government which is already under flak for its lackadaisical response to the September deluge.
The PM’s latest package of Rs745 crore, including provision of direct transfer of money to people who lost their shelters, has converged affected people’s attention on the Centre. This has understandably irked the coalition partners — the National Conference and Congress.
The separatists have rejected the PM’s package as a “cruel joke” and sought permission for international relief for rebuilding Kashmir back to its glory.
The PM on Wednesday announced to release Rs570 crores for the repair of houses damaged in the recent floods. A separate provision of Rs175 crores has been announced for restoration of hospitals in Srinagar, Jammu and leh.
The PM directed for free replacement of books to all the children up to primary and upper primary level schools.
Modi obliquely castigated the State Government’s sluggish response to the unprecedented disaster saying that good governance, quick restoration of public infrastructure, revival of economic activity and creation of conducive environment for bringing the tourists to the State were the key to bring normalcy. He announced that Rs1,000 crores announced by him during his last visit to the valley has been released and the same needs to be spent quickly by the State Government.
He said his gesture to arrive in Srinagar on Diwali would send out a signal that everything was fine in the
valley and this will help promote tourism. He said that the State Government’s memorandum for special package for rehabilitation of flood victims would be examined and “appropriate funds will be released”. The State Government has submitted a loss memo of Rs44,000 crore based on the preliminary assessment by the State officials.
The PM received a detailed briefing from Governor NN Vohra, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and top-level State officials. He met with various delegations of traders, academics, house-boat owners and civil society members.
The State president of ruling Congress Prof Saifuddin Soz, who heads the coordination committee of the coalition partners overseeing the functioning of the Government termed Modi’s announcement of relief package as “a crude joke with the people of State” and an act of “adding insult to the injury”.
This also showed, in ample measure, his casual approach to give a helping hand to the people, who had to face the ravages of severest flood in their recorded History.”
“Modi Government has already lost two months in organising response to the devastation in Kashmir and now he intends to examine the situation through a team of experts which may further delay relief,” Soz said in a statement.
Soz demanded permission to international aid for people of the State and appreciated the idea of direct transfer of funds to the affected people’s bank accounts. “I don’t think anybody will be objecting to direct grant of relief to the affected people,” he said.
However, the ruling NC described the direct fund transfer package as tantamount to insulting the State Government.
“Modi left no stone unturned in giving an impression that the present Government in Jammu & Kashmir is incapable and have failed to deliver on the ground,” Mustafa Kamal, additional general secretary of the ruling party said.
Kamal told a local news agency that Modi completely disappointed the people of Kashmir. “His visit to Kashmir is a big disappointment. His visit was aimed at rubbing salt on wounds of flood affected people. It would have been better, if he would not have visited Kashmir on the eve of Diwali,” Kamal said.
Hardline separatist leader, whose call for a shutdown on Modi’s visit evoked considerable response, termed Modi’s relief package as a ‘cruel joke’. “The relief package of Rs570 crore announced by Modi during his Kashmir visit would not mitigate even two per cent of the total loss caused due to the catastrophic floods and that if the stagnation continues to dominate the scene, Kashmir would not be rebuilt in two decades and starvation would engulf the scene,” Geelani said.
“The visit of Modi at Siachen was the real purpose of Modi’s visit to J&K and the earlier announcement was a gimmick to dodge the world community. He (Modi) came here to boost the morale of
his forces who have forcefully occupied Kashmir and
have crushed the dissent of the people of Kashmir,”
said Geelani.
The flood affected people are, however, pinning hopes on the latest package. “The present State Government has broken all records of brazen corruption. It is better that the relief package would be directly transferred to flood victims”, said Ghulam Rasool Basu, a senior resident of Pampore town who lost his house in the devastation.
Sources said that most of the delegations who met with the PM demanded least intervention of the State Government in distribution of relief packages.