SRINAGAR: Opposition parties in Jammu and Kashmir today expressed dissatisfaction over the amount of funds released by the Centre for rehabilitation of flood victims, with former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah describing it as “sanctions in drips and drabs”.
The Centre today announced an additional package of Rs 2,437 crore for reconstruction and rehabilitation of flood-ravaged state.
“Why cannot you just tell us how much of the Rs 44,000 crore package is going to be approved instead of this sanction in drips and drabs?” Omar asked.
The former chief minister, whose government had submitted a Rs 44,000 crore rehabilitation plan to the Centre, took to twitter soon after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced the additional fund.
Expressing his disappointment, Omar said,”Khoda pahar nikla chooha! (Making a mountain of a molehill)”.
The National Conference working president also questioned the rationale of sending a team of bureaucrats and Niti Ayog members to Jammu and Kashmir for planning development of the state when an elected government was in place.
“What are CM (Chief Minister) and his team for? Does this mean you have no faith in his vision or has he totally failed to outline one?” he questioned.
CPI(M) state secretary Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said the package announced by the Centre was “too little, too late” and urged the BJP-led NDA government to take a humane approach to the rehabilitation of flood victims.
“We did not have any expectations from this government and had no illusions but the least this government could have done was to treat Jammu and Kashmir at par with rest of the states,” Tarigami said.
“The amount of funds announced is nothing when we look at the devastation caused by the floods last year. Thousands of people lost their dwellings and trading community were the worst sufferers,” he added.
Tarigami said the Centre should reconsider the Rs 44,000 crore rehabilitation package put forth by the previous government.
Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) also expressed disappointment.
“It is a total disappointment. We were expecting due consideration of the devastation caused by the floods but it has not been coming,” KCCI president Ashiq Shiekh said.
“It is a total disappointment. We were expecting due consideration of the devastation caused by the floods but it has not been coming.”
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