PM directly monitoring flood relief, restoration works: Dr Jitendra

Jammu, Sep 13: Union Minister of State in PMO Dr Jitendra Singh on Saturday reiterated that the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, was personally monitoring the situation and relief-restoration works in the flood-ravaged J&K and other states.

He asserted that the damaged structures would be rebuilt with better specifications depending upon the experience of the recent floods so that, in case of a calamity of similar magnitude in the future, the structures should be able to withstand it.

Dr Jitendra was responding to media queries after visiting several flood-affected parts of Bajalta and Pargalta panchayats on the outskirts of Jammu city to assess the damage caused to residential houses and bridges on local nullahs in the recent floods.

He was accompanied by local MLA Yudhvir Sethi and officers from the administration.

“The Prime Minister has issued instructions that the central government should work in perfect synergy with the (flood-affected) state or UT government to restore and rebuild damaged infrastructure and provide reprieve to the affected people. In compliance with those instructions, yesterday we visited villages along the Zero Line. Today we are here in Bajalta. Here at Bajalta, there is a railway station where the Railway Department is undertaking some construction,” the Union Minister stated.

Due to some miscommunication, the boundary wall being raised by the railways was obstructing the entrance to certain houses, he shared. “DRM and other senior officers are reaching. We will deliberate on this issue and address it,” Dr Jitendra assured.

Earlier, the minister visited the sites most affected by floodwaters in Bain Bajalta, Tutan Di Khoi, Anthan, Badoon, Khana Shargal and Chalni under the Jammu East assembly constituency. He issued on-the-spot instructions to the concerned officers of the departments, including R&B, PHE and PWD, to undertake restoration and reconstruction work in the affected areas immediately.

Dr Jitendra also met the affected families, which narrated their miseries on account of disruption to power and water supply. He expressed solidarity with them and assured them that the supply of power and water would be ensured soon, saying that the concerned departments were working on a war footing to restore the supply of essential services.

Later, the Union Minister also visited the affected places under Pargalta panchayat to inspect the damage inflicted on public property and shops by flash floods. Speaking on the occasion, he said estimates were being prepared by the local administration with respect to the damages caused to public property and crops.

The Union Minister also inspected the damage caused to numerous residential houses and bridges and issued on-the-spot instructions to the concerned officers to undertake restoration and reconstruction work for damaged structures.

He stated that crop assessment would be undertaken on the same pattern as in the Kathua district.

In the last few weeks, the Union Minister has criss-crossed his parliamentary constituency of Udhampur-Doda-Kathua as well as other affected parts of Jammu and Kashmir to meet the victims of cloudbursts and flash floods spanning from Chisoti in Kishtwar to Zero Line on the Indo-Pak border in Kathua and Samba.

He also visited Udhampur to meet the affectees and reviewed the restoration work on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, which remained closed for over 10 days due to landslides and caving in of roads at multiple locations.