The inordinate delay in the formation of next government in the state is pushing people to the brink, already doomed by the recent floods that devastated almost the entire valley. The fractured mandate more or less reflecting the regional tendencies have hit hard the major political players in the state, including the new entrants. In the ensuing scenario of chaos and confusion governance has been pushed to the backburner as power hungry politicians seem busy in hammering alliances to make to the coveted berths of state assembly. And the woes of people are being lost in these cries of power-games.
The enormous challenges people especially in valley are facing in rebuilding the society after the recent deluge has been left high and dry in the absence of a functional government. At times when the state politicians should have been busy in providing a healing touch to the people, the time consuming process of government formation is creating a sense of desperation in the broader society. This is also the case of government machinery that has gone lax after the term of the previous government expired.
A large chunk of the population in valley is struggling in the bitter cold without a concrete roof over their heads and many are putting up in tents and government building without any means of keeping themselves warm. In Batmaloo area alone dozens of families are putting up in semi-finished hospital building near the shrine of Sheik Dawood, that lacks any means of sanitation. Tin sheds erected by the government near Fruit Mandi for flood affected people of the area are bereft of the basic minimum facilities to sustain families with children and old. Same is the fate of the destitute in Islamabad and Pulwama.
The government response to the destitution of these families after the murky flood waters took all they had has been by and large negligent. The monetary help people received from previous government is indeed a cruel joke, given the enormity of damages suffered with accusations of lopsided and corruption driven damage surveys adding insult to the injury. Flood affected employees of the state government who are asking for their own money deposited with government in the form of GP fund have been kept in limbo. As per media reports GPF bills worth hundreds of crores are pending with state treasury for want of their disposal.
The political bosses of major political parties in the state should shun the politics of opportunism and come out with a people centric efficient government to be by the side of common man in this hour of crisis.
