HC wants details on Rs 1000 cr ‘interim relief’
Directs JK, Centre to divulge information on compensation to flood victims
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court Tuesday sought information on how Rs 1000 crore sanctioned by the central government as “interim compensation” for the flood affected people of Jammu and Kashmir was spent. The court also directed the government to apprise it about the flood affected persons whose particulars were sought by the central government for depositing the compensation amount in their bank accounts.
A division bench of Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar and Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur passed the directions following submission by Advocate G A Lone that it was unclear how the interim compensation of Rs 1000 crore was spent and what happened to the persons whose immovable properties have suffered damages and whose particulars were sought by the central government.
“Counsel for the State M A Chashoo and Assistant Solicitor General S A Makroo (representing central government) will inform the court about the submissions made at bar and if it is a fact that such orders have been passed, then they shall state what is the present status in respect of the said issues,” the bench ordered while seeking the information during the course of current week.
Meanwhile, the bench directed the Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu and all deputy commissioners to file their response on its directions to the government to furnish a report on number of persons displaced in the wake of recent floods and those still living in tented accommodations as also about the direction on mechanism in place for regulating the distribution of relief to the flood victims by NGOs, individuals or companies, before the next date of hearing on November 25.
On November 12, the court ordered the concerned deputy commissioners to file a report about the flood-hit persons who still live in tented accommodations.
Chashoo said the court order directing the Director Information to get a notice published in two daily newspapers to inform the flood affected people to approach the concerned deputy commissioners with an application indicating that they are still living in the tented accommodations, has been complied with.
The Bench had sought detailed information from the divisional administration of the state about the mechanism for regulating distribution of relief to flood victims by NGOs, individuals or other companies.
Meanwhile the court asked the state counsel M A Chashoo to file his reply to the petition by Advocate Azhar-ul-Amin seeking a probe by the Special Investigating Team into the role of officers allegedly guilty of negligence during recent floods.