Mehbooba Mufti demands comprehensive flood relief package for Jammu

Jammu, Sep 4 (PTI) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday demanded a comprehensive relief and rehabilitation package, saying the scale of destruction caused by the floods in Jammu requires "crores of rupees" for rebuilding lives.

She said Jammu needs to be rebuilt, and added that the BJP MLAs, who received overwhelming support from the people, must push the Centre to announce a large-scale financial package for rebuilding a "new Jammu".

"There is a need for a big package. They came from the Centre and announced Rs 209 crore, which is nothing in terms of compensation for the loss. There is a need for crores of rupees, as I have seen the extent of the destruction.

"The destruction to the houses, animals, materials, vehicles and agricultural lands is huge. So there is a need for a big package," she told reporters here.

The former chief minister said that the Centre must announce a big package on the pattern of the 2014 floods. This is a challenge for the BJP, which claims to have a "double-engine government", she added.

Mehbooba said the present administration must also press upon the central government to announce a comprehensive financial package and extend full support to the affected families.

"There is an urgent need for a relief package that covers everyone — households, farmers, traders, and businessmen — because the losses to property, crops, livestock and livelihoods are enormous," she said.

She demanded that families living along riverbanks, streams and mountain slopes be relocated to safer zones. "People should be given five to ten marlas of land for rehabilitation or strong embankments should be built around nallahs. Jammu has to be rebuilt anew," she added.

Criticising the government, the former chief minister said leasing forests and rivers to outsiders in the name of mining and development is worsening ecological destruction.

"Nobody listens to the Supreme Court or the Green Tribunal. People themselves must stand up if we want to save our rivers and forests for the next generation," she remarked.

On the probe into the deaths of 34 pilgrims at Vaishno Devi, Mehbooba said the Shrine Board must be held accountable. "It is their responsibility. Many more people may be missing than reported. Whether it is a bridge collapse or any other infrastructure failure, responsibility has to be fixed and some heads should roll," she said.

She cautioned people against premature celebrations over aid announcements. "Do not clap when a package is announced. Celebrate only after you actually receive it," she said.

On a goodwill gesture of India informing Pakistan about the floods, Mehbooba invoked her late father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, saying India should adopt a humanitarian approach in sharing flood-related alerts with the neighbouring country.

"Floods do not distinguish between India and Pakistan. Terrorism has not killed as many people as these floods have. India must act like a big brother to Pakistan, and this could be a step to reduce enmity in Jammu and Kashmir," she said. PTI AB AB KSS KSS