Srinagar: Ministers in Jammu and Kashmir had to wade through water-logged areas to make it to the Civil Secretariat here which reopened today after remaining closed for 11 days due to massive floods in the state.
“We have braved flood water to reach to our offices in Civil Secretariat in Srinagar to meet the deadline for us to be here,” Tourism Minister Gulam Ahmed Mir told PTI. Mir along with Minister of State for Cooperatives, Dr Manohar Lal had to walk and swim through flooded road to enter the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar.
One of the Ministers, who reached near Civil Secretariat left back in wake of the flooded water. “There was just five per cent of attendance, mostly members of employees union,” said an official. Civil Secretariat, the seat of J and K here, opened today after 11 days but could not become operational as the ground floor of the seven-storey building is still under three feet of water.
Forest Minister Mian Altaf Ahmad was the first to arrive at 11 AM followed by Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather and Tourism Minister Ghulam Ahmad Mir. However, the ministers could not enter due to the water-logging in the ground floor and instead entered the State Legislative Assembly complex, where water has been drained out, and stayed there.
The state government had announced on Tuesday that the Civil Secretariat will start functioning from September 18 and directed the employees to report for work. Over 200 people have been killed in the devastating floods in the state.
