Kashmir Inc, Civil Society fume: ‘PDP has lost moral ground to govern people’

Day after Centre announced Rs 1600 crore for relief and reconstruction in flood-hit Kashmir, Valley’s apex business and trade bodies—and also prominent civil society members—Tuesday hit out at the Peoples Democratic Party for “maintaining criminal silence over this humiliating package.”

They urged the party to call it a day with BJP “as it has lost the moral ground to govern people.”

Addressing a joint press conference here, senior members from business fraternity and civil society said the Centre has “played a cruel joke with people of Kashmir by announcing this meager relief.”

“It is a shame that the Government of India has released meager Rs 551 crore for rehabilitation in housing sector which, according to the state government’s estimate, has suffered loss to the tune of Rs 7837 crore,” said ShakeelQalander, member of prominent civil society group—Kashmir Centre for Social and Development Studies (KCSDS).

The Government of India Tuesday announced Rs 1667 crore for “short-term relief and reconstruction measures” in Jammu and Kashmir while asserting that it is “sympathetically considering” the state’s request on long-term measures to improve the flood-hit infrastructure.

Qalandar stated when the devastating floods hit Uttarkhand, the Centre swung into action and provided cash assistance to all affected people. “But in case of Kashmir, it has adopted step-motherly approach towards flood victims. The State was made to even pay for rescue operations as the government recently paid Rs 500 crore to the Centre for ferrying media personnel from New Delhi and also for distributing expiry food items (during the floods),” he said.

Qalandar said estimated losses incurred by various economic components were pegged at Rs 16181 crore out of which “not a single penny has been released so far.”

“Our crop losses due to deluge were Rs 2700 crore while losses in horticulture, industry, tourism and other segments of economy were even huge. But so far the affected people have not been rehabilitated, barring few thousands of rupees given by state government to few traders which is not enough to repair their shops, leave aside their reconstruction,” he said.

He said the amount of relief was fixed at Rs 6 lakh for fully damaged houses, Rs 4 lakh for severely damaged and Rs 2 lakh for partially damaged kucha houses. “2.62 lakh houses were damaged during the September floods. But what the Centre has decided to give to flood affected people is humiliating and rubbing salt into their wounds. The Modi-led government is playing with the emotions of people,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, President Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Sheikh Ashiq said the state economy is “fast moving towards disaster as the Centre has played with miseries of Kashmiri people.”

Terming Rs 1600 crore rehabilitation package as “insult to flood victims”, Ashiq said the government of India is not sincere to resolve grievances of people of Kashmir.

Chairman, Kashmir Economic Alliance, Muhammad Yaseen Khan asked PDP to break its alliance with BJP “for not being able to get substantial rehabilitation package from the Centre.”

“PDP has no moral authority to govern people of Kashmir because it has failed to fulfill its promises made to flood victims at the time of elections,” Khan said.

“It is better for PDP to leave BJP and join hands with business community if they are sincere to work for the welfare of people of Kashmir,” he said, adding local MLAs of PDP should “immediately resign for their failure to get substantial package from the Centre.”

President, Federation Chamber of Commerce and Industry Kashmir sought IIT and IIM for Kashmir.

Meanwhile, KCDCS demanded return of power projects from NHPC to the State, stating the Valley has enough potential to generate electricity to run its economy and rehabilitate flood victims.

“It is unfortunate that the central government is justifying illegal occupation of power projects by NHPC,” Qalander said, referring to recent statement of Union Power Minister PiyushGoyal that State won’t get its share in NHPC profits.

“NHPC doesn’t have any document to stake legal claim on power projects. It has been amply substantiated by former minister TajMohiuddin and MuzaffarBaig of the present dispensation. NHPC is holding these projects illegally and must return them to the State,” he said. “This will give us 2900 MW power and Rs 6000 crore revenue.”