Seeks Central package, relief, restoration work on war footing
Jammu, August 28 : Congress today said that 35 lives of Vaishno Devi pilgrims could have been saved, had the authorities suspended the yatra in advance in view of the high weather alert and demanded a high-level probe to fix the responsibility.
Addressing a joint press conference Working President JKPCC Shri Raman Bhalla, , Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, Former Minister Yogesh Sawhney, Ex-MLC I/c HQ Ved Mahajan expressed grave shock and concern over the Mata Vaishno Devi tragedy, clamming that the same could have been averted and the lives saved had the authorities suspended the yatra in advance knowing fully the high weather alert. They demanded the responsibility to be fixed in the serious matter.
Working President Shri Raman Bhalla said that Govt. failed to learn lesson from Sheshoti tragedy and did not suspend the Vaishno Mata Yatra in time leading to huge loss of lives for which responsibility should be fixed in time frame unlike in the past stampede tragedy a couple of years ago.
Senior Congress leaders referred to the unprecedented loss to the private and public infrastructure uprooting large number of families in various localities of Jammu City and different parts of Jammu Province disrupting the road connectivity and mobile network, especially the entire Chenab region and impressed upon the administration to undertake the relief And restoration works on war footing.
After conducting hectic tour of different worst affected localities of the Jammu Urban and Semi urban as well as certain rural areas along with a team of senior leaders and local workers, during the past two days, Shri Raman Bhalla stressed that there is immediate need to restore water and power supply besides water tanker service to the affected areas besides providing cooked ration and temporary shelter to the people whose households have been damaged/flooded.
Shri Bhalla said that immediate task should be relief and restoration work to provide support to the people who are uprooted. This needs to be done in war footing in all areas simultaneously. He said that more men and machinery and volunteers needs to be utilized in view of the huge loss and damage to the several low lying localities.
Shri Yogesh Sawhney lauded the efforts of civil societies who are rendering free langer supply and other assistance but administration action and support is not visible in most affected areas where the house holds items of the inhabitants have been destroyed and washed away. He demanded free langer service in different affected areas and accommodating the uprooted families in Banquet Halls and other shelter places till the life is restored.
The congress leaders pointed out that no doubt in view of the unprecedented rains and flood the different agencies of the Govt. as well as media persons and other volunteers played a laudable role but certain glaring lapses were also noticed which put the lives of people especially the college and university students to risks.
They also strongly criticized the JE (Electrical) recruitment paper leak issue causing great resentment and hardships to the candidates which needs a thorough probe, in view of the past series of recruitment scams during UT administration.
They also regretted that due to dual control system both LG and Chief Minister visited to assess the situation but held separate review meetings in this crisis situation which reflects the severe loss to the people under the present system.
They were flanked by Chief Media Coordinator Neeraj Gupta, Spokes person Kapil Singh, Senior leaders Varinder Singh Manhas, Ram Magotra, Rakesh Sharma and others.
