Jammu and Kashmir: A year after floods, victims still wait for rehabilitation

Srinagar, Sep 7: A year after floods devastated parts of Kashmir, the victims of the natural calamity feel that governments at the Centre and in the state have done "precious little" for rehabilitating them.

"We are talking one year down the line and all we have got peanuts in the name of relief and rehabilitation," 75-year-old Ghulam Mohammad Bhat said.

Bhat's three-storey house in Jawahar Nagar area of the city collapsed in the flood that struck Kashmir and some parts of Jammu in the first week of September last year. He and his family were lucky to leave their home minutes before the tragedy struck.

"We saw our house collapse in front of our eyes as we took refuge in the third storey of neighbour's house.

Everything was gone and we managed to just escape with our lives only," Bhat's wife, Nabla Begum, said.

The elderly couple are still putting up with their relatives in uptown Rawalpora locality as the Rs 78,800 given to them by the government as compensation was not even enough to get the debris of their collapsed house cleared.

"We were expecting large hearted approach from the Centre for rehabilitating the flood victims but even after one year, they have not taken a decision on the relief package for the state," Bhat said.

Some of the victims have also alleged malpractices by the lower ranking staff of the Revenue Department, who prepared the loss assessment report following the floods last year.

They alleged that bribes and close connections with politicians ensure that some people got the first instalment of relief more than once.

"There is one case in our locality where a man had got Rs 50,000 compensation four times in four different bank accounts using different variations of his name," Ali Mohammad, a resident of Natipora, said.

Showing the documents of Revenue Department, Ali Mohammad pointed out that one Mohammad Amin Bhat's name also figured as 'Mohd Amin', 'M A Bhat' and 'Mohammad Amin' in the list of beneficiaries in Natipora.

"We don't have so many Mohammad Amins in our locality. Someone needs to look into it," he said.

In Old Barzulla locality, which was unaffected by the floods, the Revenue authorities on the basis of recommendations made by political workers have allegedly dished out relief cheques to hundreds of house owners.

"Many people have returned the cheques but most have encashed the instruments. How does that happen when genuine victims are running from pillar to post for some help to reconstruct their homes," Mohammad Irfan a local resident said.

There are some victims who are running from pillar to post for lack of proper documentation.

"My house was destroyed in the deluge but I was denied even the Rs 75,000 compensation as the property was still in the name of my father. Being the only son, I thought it not necessary to transfer the property in my name and now I am paying for it," A M Bhat, a resident of Wazir Bagh said.

Bhat said he made several representations to authorities including Deputy Commissioner Srinagar for considering his case for compensation.

"First I was told to get an affidavit from the court in support of my claim for compensation. After that I was told to get a recommendation letter from Masjid Committee or Mohalla Welfare Committee ... I got it from both. After that Patwari concerned came for on-ground verification but no decision has been taken yet," he added.

The traders' bodies of the Valley maintain that they were not able to comprehend the policy pursued by the governments with regard to rehabilitation of flood victims, which includes the business community.

"We left no stone unturned to represent the case of victims but now we are disheartened. (Union) Finance Minister Arun Jaitley during a meeting in Delhi assured us that a package will be announced in a short span of time. Is one year not enough time?" president of Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Sheikh Ashiq said.

Ashiq said there is a need to infuse a new life in the economy of Jammu and Kashmir by giving a comprehensive reconstruction and development package.

"We are apprehensive that the state economy might collapse in the couple of years to come. Business community may not be able to repay loans and general public, most of whom are flood victims, do not have the spending capacity now," he said.

Ashiq said while development package as promised by the Centre was welcome, a Bihar-like package will not work in Jammu and Kashmir.

"When people do not have roof over heads and businesses have no capital to resume their activities, what are railway lines, roads and other infrastructure going to do for the economy?" he asked.

Ashiq said relief and rehabilitation should be a major component of any development package that the Centre might be planning for the state. "We hope there is one".

Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh had said yesterday that a big financial package will soon be sanctioned to the state for the rehabilitation of the affected people.

"Centre had given some money which we distributed. A big package will be announced soon. You know the government has to go into the details as to where the money will be spent (but) it will come soon," Singh said.

He said the financial package would be bigger than the Rs 44,000 crore package proposed by the previous government.

As the state government is planning to mark September 7 as the revival day, traders, separatists and opposition National Conference have called for a strike tomorrow to protest against the alleged failure of the government to rehabilitate victims.