‘Plight of flood-hit families ignored’, Congress leader Bhalla on Amit Shah’s Jammu visit

Working president of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) and former minister, Raman Bhalla, on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the centre, describing Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s high-profile visit to Jammu as a “damp squib” that “failed” to provide any relief or reassurance to thousands of flood-hit families reeling under devastation across the province.

Bhalla said that the Home Minister’s visit had been given massive publicity by the BJP, raising hopes among affected people. However, he added, the visit ended in deep disappointment as no relief package or concrete measures were announced to address the losses suffered by the people.

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“The flood-affected families felt completely betrayed after the visit. They were expecting some strong assurances and tangible relief, but the outcome was just silence,” he remarked.

Bhalla visited several areas, including Greater Kailash, Gangyal and other affected localities to take stock of the situation.

He demanded that the recent floods, which have claimed several lives and caused large-scale destruction of property, infrastructure, agricultural land, and livelihoods, must be declared a national disaster.

“Unless Jammu’s devastating floods are declared a national disaster, proper rehabilitation and reconstruction will not be possible. The Union Government must adopt Jammu and Kashmir for relief and rehabilitation in the same spirit as it has extended support to other states in times of calamity,” Bhalla said.

Raising questions over the preparedness and response of the administration, Bhalla sought a white paper on the measures taken for flood protection in Jammu and Kashmir over the last ten years. He accused successive governments of indulging in “mere photo opportunities” instead of initiating concrete preventive works.

“The bed level of most canals and rivers have alarmingly risen in recent years because those at the helm have failed to undertake proper desilting. Crores of rupees were shown as spent in the name of desilting, but the work only existed on paper, he alleged. Had genuine efforts been made, many low-lying villages and towns could have been saved from the fury of floods,” he stated, demanding a high-level probe into what he called “massive bungling and corruption.”

Bhalla accused the BJP of ignoring democratic institutions and sidelining the elected government in relief and rehabilitation exercises. He appealed to the BJP to “rise above petty politics” and work in coordination with all stakeholders, irrespective of party affiliation, to provide timely and effective rehabilitation to the suffering population.

“What the people of Jammu expect right now is responsiveness, accountability, and action, not rhetoric,” Bhalla emphasized, urging both the Union and J&K governments to immediately announce comprehensive relief measures, including compensation for damaged houses, crop losses, livestock, and restoration of infrastructure.