SRINAGAR: The State Government Thursday said that all items of relief dispatched to Jammu and Kashmir from various parts of the country and outside for flood affected families have been exempted from entry and toll taxes.
A spokesman of the State Government today said that relevant SROs to this effect have been issued and the concerned quarters given categorical directions.
He said the NGOs and others who are engaged in relief operation are requested to inform their representatives accordingly and carry on the process of dispatching and distributing relief to the affected families hassle free.
By virtue of the SROs, a highly simplified framework has been put in place under which NGOs, Institutions and individuals can themselves certify that the goods are meant for the relief and avail of the exemption of taxes, instead of approaching various competent authorities in the Government for such certificates.
Earlier government had introduced a bizarre order on Wednesday, 24 September seeking NOC for any relief material sent for the flood victims in the state.
The order issued by the state government said, anyone intending to send relief materials needs to first obtain an NOC (No Objection Certificate) from either the Resident Commissioner, Delhi or District Collector of Srinagar.
Relief Material Held Up At Udhampur
Media reports from Jammu meanwhile said that for the last four days, platforms of Udhampur station are clogged with nearly 53,298 bags of rice. The supplies were left out in the open even as it rained in Udhampur on Wednesday, reported Indian express. Railway officials are clueless regarding what is to be done with the material. They (administration) have not touched those wagons so far, said Udhampur station superintendent Randhir Sharma.
The officials entrusted with dispatching relief material said they had not received instructions regarding distribution of the supplies. We do not know how many truck loads of relief material have to be sent and where, said M Ali, Assistant Director, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department. These will be dispatched in trucks immediately after we get instructions from the administration in the Valley, he added.
Sources said a goods train carrying 42 wagons loaded with rice bags reached Udhampur on September 20. On the same day, a special train brought five wagons of relief material from Jammu. The railways informed the administration, but for the first three days, all wagons remained stationed in the railway yard. On September 23, the 42 wagons that brought rice from Chhattisgarh and Bihar were unloaded. The five other wagons, however, remained at the yard as there was hardly any space left at the station to unload them, sources added. Sources said Udhampur administration had on September 20 hired 200 trucks from Jammu for transporting the relief material to the Valley. However, after two days, it let those trucks go as no instructions regarding distribution came
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