Suspend political activities, focus on flood relief: Sunil Sharma to govt

Jammu, July 21: Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Sunil Sharma, on Tuesday urged the Omar Abdullah-led government to temporarily suspend all political activities and devote its full attention to relief and rehabilitation efforts as large parts of the Union Territory grapple with widespread devastation caused by heavy rains, flash floods and landslides.
Addressing a press conference, Sharma said it was unfortunate that while people across several districts were battling the impact of severe weather and natural calamities, the government’s presence was not adequately visible on the ground.
“When people are facing the fury of nature, this is not the time for politics. The government should suspend all political activities and concentrate entirely on providing relief to the affected population,” he said.
The BJP leader said the focus should remain on rescue operations, restoration of essential services and immediate assistance to families who have suffered losses due to the ongoing weather-related disasters.
Appealing for a united response, Sharma said the BJP was willing to extend full cooperation to the government in addressing the humanitarian situation.
“We want to rise above politics. We assure the government that we will work with them without any political considerations in this hour of crisis,” he said.
He urged the administration to ensure prompt relief, adequate compensation and financial assistance to victims whose houses, crops, livestock and other properties have been damaged by flash floods, landslides and incessant rainfall.
Sharma said the priority should be the safety and welfare of the affected people and called for swift restoration of damaged roads, electricity, drinking water supply and other essential public services in the worst-hit areas.
He maintained that the ongoing crisis demanded a coordinated response from all stakeholders and expressed hope that relief and rehabilitation measures would be expedited to minimise the hardships being faced by the affected population.
Large parts of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the Jammu region, have witnessed widespread damage over the past few days due to torrential rains, resulting in flash floods, landslides, cloudbursts and disruption of road connectivity, besides loss of life and property in several districts. [KNT]