Srinagar/Nov, 4: Senior PDP leader and former finance minister Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari has urged the Governor led administration to gear up its winter preparations so that people in Kashmir are not pushed to any further inconvenience.
“Few inches of snowfall has derailed the whole scenario and virtually pushed Kashmir to stone-age. Authorities seem to have been in deep slumber as far as the met department’s predictions are concerned,” he observed, while expressing disappointment over the administrative inertia that has caused huge inconvenience to the public in last few days.
Over the huge losses suffered by the horticulture sector due to sudden snowfall, the former finance minister demanded an immediate assessment of damages caused to orchards and urged the administration to disburse an interim relief to affected orchardists and the farmers in valley till the final valuations are completed.
He said that it seems no concrete contingency measures were taken by the administration following met department’s predictions of rains and snowfall. in plains and hilly areas of the Valley. “The complete electricity outage for over 20 hours, water logging, massive traffic snarls, pending road clearance, drinking water shortage especially in Srinagar city and above all lack of adequate ration supplies before the onset of traditional heavy snowfalls in Kashmir is distressing,” he observed.
Bukhari asked the administration to ensure hassle free ration supply, and smooth essential services across the nook and corners of the Kashmir division.
Taking a dig on unplanned conduct of examinations by Board of School Education, Bukhari said the BOSE administration should immediately address the complaints of inadequate facilities at its centers without offering any lame excuses.
The former finance minister also expressed solidarity with the families who have lost their members due to lightening at various places including Uri in Kashmir. He demanded immediate disbursement of ex-gratia relief in favour of the lightening affected families.
