Jammu: Accusing National Conference leaders of blocking and hijacking relief material meant for the flood victims, senior PDP leader and MP Tariq Hameed Karra has said that instead of reaching out to the affected, the ruling party is trying to cash in on the tragedy by politicising the relief distribution.
“The National Conference (NC) leaders are blocking and hijacking relief material meant for the flood victims. Instead of reaching out to the needy, the ruling party is trying to cash in on the tragedy by politicising the relief distribution amid grave tragedy that has befallen Kashmir,” Karra said in a statement today.
Complaints are pouring in from the flood-affected areas. NC leaders have started hijacking the relief material from the storage points at the Srinagar airport, EDI Building Pampore, Nigeen Club and district headquarters at Budgam, Pulwama and Anantnag, and are routing the same to their relatives and party workers instead of the deserving people affected by the floods, the PDP alleged.
“There are reports that NC leaders are not only pillaging relief material coming through official channels, but are also taking away items raised by various NGOs and civil society groups,” he said, urging the administration to stop selective distribution of relief by NC cadres.
Karra said as per media reports, while the son of a senior minister is pilfering the relief material in Budgam, a NC legislator from Srinagar recently visited the relief distribution point at EDI Building Pampore and walked away with a major chunk of relief material.
“There are reports that bulk of the relief material has been dumped at the official residence of the Chief Minister at Gupkar Road from where it is being transported to the homes of NC leaders during night,” he alleged.
He said in another instance of political highhandedness, a senior NC minister recently locked several relief distribution points in Pulwama which were being managed by the local civil society groups.
“The minister tried to take away relief material and hand it over to NC cadres. However, she was forced to retreat after the locals protested...,” Karra said.
He said the government, ironically, has not paid any heed to the suggestions made the PDP president during the recently held all-party meeting.
“Distribution through religious and social organisations with proper coordination and monitoring could have ensured speedy and judicious distribution of relief among the affected,” he said.
Expressing dismay over the sluggish de-watering of various inundated city areas, Karra said the people have now started seeing a design behind the government's inaction to restore normality in the summer capital.
“After being devastated by floods, the government now seems to be hell bent upon crippling people economically by not allowing restoration of the city business hubs,” he said.
Karra also expressed dismay over the lackadaisical approach of the mobile companies including BSNL in restoring telephone connectivity in the Valley.
