Uri, October 8
Victims of the massive earthquake that hit Jammu and Kashmir exactly an year ago staged a protest here today against the slow pace of the rehabilitation of those affected by the disaster that devastated dozens of frontier villages.
Former Chief Minister and National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah and several party leaders joined the people in paying tribute to those who died in the quake and staging a protest against the government’s alleged failure to rebuild the township of Uri.
Moulvi Mustafa, a local cleric, led the prayers and sought blessings for rebuilding damaged houses and infrastructure.
The people gave vent to their frustration soon after the prayers, shouting slogans against the government and alleging that funds provided by the Centre were misappropriated as many of victims were yet to receive the
first instalment of the relief package. Over 300 families had not received the first instalment of relief for rebuilding their homes, the people claimed.
Lauding the Army’s role in rebuilding Charunda village near the Line of Control, Dr Abdullah said the state government had “miserably failed” on every front.
The government has also failed to rebuild infrastructure like schools and offices damaged by the quake, they said, dismissing official statistics that 60 schools out of 400 buildings
devastated during the quake in Baramula and Kupwara districts had been reconstructed.
Referring to the worst-hit Kamalkote village, where 1,800 houses were damaged, the people claimed that only 20 homes had been rebuilt so far.
Contradicting the allegations, a government spokesman said reconstruction and rehabilitation were a long-drawn process, but the state government’s “mission mode” approach had ensured that no one was without shelter before the onset of winter.
Timely monetary support from the state government and the Centre and whole-hearted material support from non-government agencies to the thousands of people affected by the calamity had proved a godsend for them as they were able to rebuild their lives faster than anyone could imagine, he said.
Gandhian workers paid tributes to the victims at a function in Srinagar and took an oath to devote their spare time to help needy people everywhere.
President of Gandhian workers S.P. Verma highlighted the role of the body and youth hostel volunteers in the aftermath of the quake in areas like Uri, Karnah and Poonch.
— PTI
