Will inter-act with people, listen problems & submit report
*Central package for J&K to be released shortly
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 12: In a major public outreach, the Narendra Modi Government has asked the Union Ministers of State to visit every district in four flood-affected UT/States of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand for two days, inter-act with people hit by floods and rains and listen to their grievances.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
Visits by the Union Ministers were scheduled to start today.
Official sources told the Excelsior that a decision to this effect was taken after visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand recently. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have already visited Jammu and Kashmir while the Prime Minister is also scheduled to visit the UT shortly.
“The Union Ministers of State will visit every district affected by the floods in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand, listen to public problems caused by flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains and cloudbursts and compile comprehensive report for submission to the Centre,” the sources said.
The issues which pertained to the Union Ministers will be addressed by them while rest will be referred to the concerned Governments, they said, adding visits of the Union Ministers are aimed at major public outreach undertaken by the Centre.
After Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory in 2019, the Central Government had deputed several Ministers to different districts thrice for public outreach programmes with a view to hold interactions with the people and address their issues.
All 10 districts of the Jammu region are badly affected by floods and landslides with huge damages to Government infrastructure like highways, roads, bridges, culverts, Nullahs etc besides public property including houses, other structures, fields, crops etc.
An Inter-Ministerial Central Team visited Jammu and Kashmir for more than a week assessing damages caused by floods and landslides in different districts of the Union Territory. The team comprised senior officers of various Ministries including the Ministry of Home Affairs. It visited J&K after two-day tour of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the Jammu region.
While Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah have already visited the Jammu region, there are reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited flood-affected States of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand, will also undertake visit to Jammu and Kashmir shortly. He is expected to conduct aerial survey of Katra and Chashoti in Kishtwar district.
Thirty four pilgrims of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji shrine were killed in a landslide at Adh Kunwari on August 26 while 65 people, mostly pilgrims of Shri Machail Mata Ji shrine, were killed and 32 others are still missing and are also feared dead in cloudburst and flash flood at Chashoti in Kishtwar district on August 14.
Besides, there was also loss of lives in floods and landslides in other districts.
During his visits to the flood-hit States, the Prime Minister announced relief assistance of Rs 1600 cr for Punjab, Rs 1500 crore for Himachal Pradesh and Rs 1200 cr for Uttarakhand.
Sources said the Prime Minister is also expected to announce package for Jammu and Kashmir shortly after assessment of the damages is completed.
The post Major public outreach: Union Ministers to visit every flood-affected district in J&K, 3 States appeared first on Daily Excelsior.