Jammu, Sep 7: The Jammu and Kashmir Congress on Sunday demanded that the Centre announce a comprehensive relief package for the flood-ravaged Union Territory and declare the devastation a national calamity. The party also pressed for a judicial probe into the deaths of over 100 pilgrims in the recent cloudburst and landslide incidents along the Machail Mata and Vaishno Devi shrine routes.
J&K Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra said the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the affected areas in Jammu had “dashed the hopes” of the population. “The expectations of 1.40 crore people were not met. The visit seemed more symbolic than substantive as he did not even speak about the pilgrims who lost their lives,” Karra told reporters.
He accused the BJP-led central government of failing to learn lessons from past calamities and said no concrete steps had been taken to mitigate disasters like flash floods by enhancing the carrying capacity of rivers and flood channels.
Calling for a comprehensive rehabilitation plan, Karra sought immediate reconstruction of damaged infrastructure and relief for farmers who lost their crops. He urged the government to provide free electricity until farm productivity is restored, waive off existing Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loans, and extend fresh interest-free loans to the affected farmers.
“Villages across Jammu division are without electricity and water. The government must act swiftly to restore basic facilities,” he said, while also demanding free ration for six months to families whose houses were submerged.
Reiterating his party’s call for a judicial probe into the August 14 cloudburst at Chisoti and the August 26 Vaishno Devi landslide, Karra said a sitting or retired high court judge should examine the incidents and fix responsibility for the “criminal negligence” of authorities. He rejected the three-member committee probe ordered by the Lieutenant Governor, pointing out that a similar panel after the 2022 stampede at Vaishno Devi had never made its report public.
The Congress leader also demanded a high-level committee of experts to investigate contributory factors, including illegal mining by contractors that allegedly worsened the disaster’s impact. He stressed on relocating families from areas facing land sinking and highlighted fears of a possible outbreak of waterborne diseases if timely action is not taken.
“Your own people in J&K are yearning for rehabilitation. Assistance similar to what was extended to Nepal after the 2015 earthquake is expected here as well,” Karra said.
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