File status report on flood relief package: HC to Centre
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court today gave one more week to the Union Government to file the status report on the relief package meant for the September 2014 flood victims.
During the resumed hearing of a public interest litigation on the September 2014 floods, the division bench of Chief Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar and Justice Hasnain Masoodi said the Central government should file the status report on the relief package within one week or else the Union Finance Secretary should be present in person on November 3, the next date of hearing.
The HC is hearing a PIL on the floods of 2014, which caused havoc in the Kashmir region. Earlier, the High Court had directed the Centre to disclose its stand on the Rs 44000-crore relief package sought by the state government for the flood victims.
It had also directed the Centre to divulge its policy on grant of relief to the flood-affected people.
Immediately after floods in September 2014, the state government had sought a special financial package of Rs 44,000 crore to rehabilitate the flood victims. Official estimates say 2.61 lakh structures, including residential houses, were damaged in the calamity.
Besides, the J&K Government had also requested the Central government to release Rs 1,947.20 crore under the National Disaster Response Force funds.
The High Court directions come just a few days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kashmir on November 7. The ruling PDP-BJP government has come under sharp criticism for failing to provide relief to the flood victims.
