| Anti Government protests rock National Highway | | 'Flood victims demand relief, rehabilitation, Governor's rule' | | Javaid Naikoo
Srinagar, Oct 3: Ongoing government apathy towards flood hit families forced thousands of people living along to National Highway to come on roads against administration, demand relief, rehabilitation and Governor's rule in Jammu and Kashmir to get rid of miseries.
Just two days after protests against government hit Srinagar streets at many places, today all roads leading to Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama, Batamaloo, Shopian and Jammu were blocked by thousands of protestors including men, woman and children in Lasjan, Byepass, Pantha Chowk and Nowgam areas demanding government attention towards the problems people of flood hit areas are facing nearly after one month floods hit Jammu and Kashmir.
Protestors at Nowgam area said that all the government institutions be it is PDD, PHE, flood and irrigation, R&B or CAPD Departments exist nowhere on ground in flood hit areas like Lasjan, Pampore, Nowgam, Pohoo and similar other areas where floods caused devastation as all such departments could not restore the services pertaining under them.
"We are still submerged in water, my work place is in shambles, my family is living in rented accommodation, where is flood and irrigation department, PDD did not restored electricity, CAPD officials instead distributing free ration are selling the same in black market, roads are damaged to the extent that even walking by foot is impossible where is concerned department," said Ghulam Nabi of Lasjan area, one Protestor at Nowgam.
Protestors said that government is merely announcing relief and rehabilitation for the sake of it while as ground situation is that flood hit are suffering badly as floods washed away homes and industries, orchards, business units and now flood hit families have no option except to beg or join militant ranks against administration and then teach them lesson as used to happen during 1990 in Kashmir.
Pertinently as protestors had blocked National Highway and all roads leading towards central, North and South Kashmir were blocked, thousands of vehicles carrying passengers and relief material coming from outside state were stranded on National Highway and on other roads for hours.
"If state government has failed to provide relief, rehabilitate families, assist business fraternity to re-start their units, compensate loss of people whose orchards and crop fields were washed away by floods, why does not central government impose Governor's," said one angry protestor of Nowgam area accompanied by a group other youth.
As government response towards flood hit people of Kashmir is lethargic, Srinagar and other flood hit areas of Kashmir are witnessing continuous protests with people demanding relief and rehabilitation ahead of the winter. They allege that coalition government which has no methodology in place to deal with the situation when floods hit Kashmir also has no proper rehabilitation plan in place. |
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