Relief delay, trapped students worry Congress, party seeks Centre’s swift action

Jammu, Sep 16: The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) has expressed serious concern over the news reports about some Jammu youth, including students, along with other youth from elsewhere in the country, getting trapped in the war zone of Russia-Ukraine and asked the central government to immediately act to rescue them safely and bring them home.

In a meeting of senior Congress leaders in Jammu, presided over by JKPCC working president Raman Bhalla, the issue of trapped youth in the war zone in Russia, besides the present situation arising out of the devastation caused by the incessant rains and floods, was discussed.

Grave concern was expressed over the slow pace of relief, rehabilitation and restoration measures in the entire Jammu region in the absence of a relief package from the Centre.

Taking serious note of the distress call of some youth from Jammu for immediate help from Russia, where they had gone for study purposes and got trapped there and pushed into a war zone, the party asked the Modi government to rescue them safely without delay.

“The people are worried about the safety of our youth, who should be immediately rescued,” JKPCC leaders demanded.

They took exception to the delay in granting a comprehensive relief package by the Centre; as a result, the relief, rehabilitation, restoration and reconstruction measures were moving on at a very slow pace.

“People in several remote areas are living in insecure conditions, and no efforts are being made to shift and relocate them to safer areas, while others are staying in their localities without the urgent restoration of water supplies and road connectivity, which were disturbed due to landslides and erosion of link roads, making it difficult for the inhabitants to resume their normal activities,” JKPCC leaders stated.

The participants during the meeting also discussed the issue of the displaced people due to landslides, sinking of lands and extensive damage to their houses.

“The resettlement and rehabilitation measures are still lacking. "The winter is fast approaching in certain cold-zone sub-regions, and the delay can be very harsh for the people," they pointed out.