KINS Correspondent
Jammu, Sept 02 (KINS): Lashing out at the Omar Abdullah-led Jammu and Kashmir government, Leader of Opposition in the J&K Assembly Sunil Sharma on Tuesday alleged that the ‘government failed to respond with the seriousness the flood disaster in Jammu required’.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters in Jammu, as per news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS), Sharma said:
“While our MLAs were on the ground helping people in every possible way, the NC government failed to respond with the seriousness this disaster required. Instead of acting promptly, it merely resorted to lip service and eyewash.”
Sharma was accompanied by senior BJP leaders and MLAs Sham Lal Sharma, Dr. Narinder Singh, and Dr. Devinder Kumar Manyal at the BJP headquarters, where they highlighted the devastation caused by recent heavy rains, floods, and landslides across the Jammu region.
Sunil Sharma expressed serious concern over the large-scale damage in districts including Jammu, Samba, Udhampur, Reasi, and Kathua following incessant rainfall.
He said that the calamity has destroyed homes, damaged crops, disrupted drinking water supply, and affected dams, leaving thousands of families in distress.
The LoP lauded the swift intervention of the Union Government and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who visited affected areas, held a high-level review meeting with officials, and directed MPs and MLAs to reach out to people directly.
“Home Minister Amit Shah has instructed all legislators to interact with affected families on September 4–6, arrange medical camps with doctors and medicines on September 9, and conduct cleanliness drives in flood-hit areas on September 10–11. This shows the Centre’s seriousness in addressing people’s pain,” Sharma said.
He further informed that a high-level central team comprising senior secretaries, headed by the Union Home Secretary, is assessing losses and will soon submit a detailed report. “The relief package sanctioned by the Centre will reach the affected families without delay.
The Prime Minister has also ensured full deployment of Army, Air Force, paramilitary forces, and health officials for rescue and relief operations,” he added.
Sharma also raised the issue of sand and aggregate collection, demanding that farmers be allowed to clear debris and sell material from their land to recover losses.
Highlighting the plight of Marwa village in Kishtwar, where nearly 150 houses were destroyed, Sharma appealed to the Centre to provide full rehabilitation and resettlement assistance.
Concluding the press meet, Sharma said: “The people of Jammu region expect sincerity, not mere announcements. The central government has stood firmly with J&K in this crisis, and we hope the UT government will now rise to its responsibility.”(KINS)
