SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said the focus of the post-flood rehabilitation programme in Jammu and Kashmir should be on rebuilding of the economy and restoration of livelihood.
Interacting with people during his tour of flood-hit areas of Srinagar and Anantnag, Sayeed said the devastating floods have not only destroyed assets but severely impaired the process of income generation and it would take the state economy nearly a decade to reach the achieved levels of income.
Even as the State Government has after long delay submitted Rs 44000 crore relief and rehabilitation plan to the Government of India, it will take a long time to get funds and benefits to fructify on the ground, he said added that even as the Government of India must fully fund this rehabilitation and reconstruction plan, the Centre shall have to take practical and urgent measures to address the issues of immediate concern.
Sayeed requested the Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi to make Srinagar part of the Smart Cities announced in this years Union budget with an allocation of Rs 7000 crore in the current year. If Srinagar is included in the Smart Cities project, as the money has already been provided in the budget, the process of rebuilding can start instantaneously, he said.
Similarly he said the union budget for the current year has allocated Rs 2000 crore for urban renewal mission for making cities livable with better infrastructure. I think no city can lay a greater claim on the project than Srinagar which needs to be made livable after undergoing massive destruction during the September floods, he said and added that Srinagar should be also included HRIDAY (National Heritage and City Development and Augmentation Yojna.) for conserving the heritage character of the city impaired by the floods.
Mufti also urged the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank to send in their teams at the earliest to assess the needs of the state devastated by the floods. In addition to needs assessment, I request these institutions to start long-term programs for restoration of livelihood and capacity building in the State. This would allow us to leap-frog into the 21st century, he said.
While applauding the Supreme Court judgment on settlement of insurance claims, Sayeed said it is our responsibility to look at those losses as well which have not been insured. He said a large chunk of losses in agriculture, horticulture, trade and businesses are not insured in the flood-hit areas. While lessons need to be learnt from this tragedy, he said it is important that the Centre and the multilateral institutions cover these losses through fully funded financial package.
He said market intervention is required by the State Government to ensure that the costs of conducting business especially in horticulture sector, which have dramatically shot up, are subsidized for this season. Special attention must be given to workout relief programme for Kissan Credit Card and Artisan Credit Card holders. This will provide enormous relief to growers in the horticulture sector and artisans in the handicraft sector, he said.
Sayeed also urged the Non-Resident Kashmiris to help rebuild Kashmir by setting up institutions of international standards in the State.
He also urged the national universities and professional colleges to make special one-time provision for delayed applications in various parts of the country so that students from JK dont lose precious academic year.
Sayeed said if his party comes to power, it will give a policy framework on sustainable and planned rehabilitation and reconstruction of the areas devastated by the floods. He said the policy framework would also include flood control master plan to minimize the loss to life and property in the eventuality of any future disasters and other climate threats.
Our party will take this tragedy as a challenge and I assure my people, that we would rebuild Srinagar as the best livable and planned city with all the amenities that a modern urban centre calls for, he said.
Expressing grave concern over the reported serious discrepancies pointed out by the Supreme Court-appointed panel in the relief operations, Sayeed said the concerns expressed by PDP regarding lopsided relief distribution by the State Government have come true as the same stand vindicated by the official committee. He said as reported by a section of the media, the SC-appointed panel has pinpointed diversion of the relief material on political considerations and dispatching of the same even to places, which were least affected by the devastating floods.
Sayeed said it was disgusting to note that as per the official panel report, several ministers of the present regime have made sure that relief was doled out to their political activists in Srinagar and were showing little concern for removing the sufferings of the flood-hit people at large. He said official panel has also belied the claims of authorities about distribution of free ration among the flood-hit people as according to the report people are complaining that they have not got any rations.
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