KL Report
SRINAGAR
Voicing his serious concern over the economic crisis facing Jammu and Kashmir, CPI (M) senior leader and MLA Kulgam has said that the union government’s cold shoulder approach towards proposed flood rehabilitation package has further added to gravity of the situation.
In a statement, Tarigami said empty coffers leading to severe cash crunch in treasuries have not only hit development works in the State but the salaries and pensions of its serving and retired employees have also become unmanageable.
“There was a perception that this crisis will be overcome only once the new Government will be in place and the issue will be taken up at highest level with the Government of India but unfortunately the same has proven a hoax,” Tarigami said while referring to the massive damages caused by the floods and the helplessness of the state government to go for restoration works across the State.
Tarigami said that the financial mess in the State is to a large extent a creation of the central government which has virtually stopped flow of funds to the state government. “It seems Jammu and Kashmir has become a least priority state for the government of India and that is why even after eight months the State government’s post flood rehabilitation package is still gathering dust in New Delhi,” Tarigami stated further.
He said that so far the financial help extended by the central government for the reconstruction of homes and hospitals damaged in September floods in the state has been a joke on the people of the state. “There is no funding for repairs on the state’s damaged infrastructure and the people especially farmers and orchardists who have lost their agricultural and orchard land and crops in floods have been left high and dry,” the CPI (M) leader observed.
He said that the government of India seems in deep slumber as far as the plight of people of Jammu and Kashmir is concerned. “Apart from flood relief package, there seems that the government of India has shun funding for Annual Plan, Prime Minister’s Re-construction Plan (PMRP), Centrally Sponsored Schemes and other shares, he added.
