Saroori's concern over lack of essential commodities in snow bound areas

Govt urged to ensure ration, power, water supply

JAMMU, February 09: Senior Congress leader and party vice president, G. M Saroori expressed his serious concern over problems being faced by the people in snow bound areas of Jammu region especially in erstwhile Doda district.

The Congress leader while meeting with several deputations from various areas of Kishtwar and Doda districts said people in hilly belt especially in snow bound Inderwal Constituency of Kishtwar district are facing scarcity of ration as the Government has failed to ensure and dump the adequate ration on the ration depots in the Assembly segment.

Saroori said the roads are cut off for last several days due to heavy snowfall and there are no means of supplying ration to the ration depots under prevailing circumstances as administration has failed to make preemptive arrangements in the area.

He said the prevailing ration crisis coupled with power failure and water scarcity has added to the woes of people in this hilly belt and the administration is looking as a mute spectator to this problem. He demanded that restoration of power and water supply in the area be made on war footing basis. Besides, all steps be taken in ensuring ration supply in the Constituency and other areas of erstwhile Doda district, he added.

Saroori, while taking a dig at PDD said over 25 transformers alone in Inderwal Constituency are fully damaged and no steps have been taken to restore them with the result the power crisis in the Constituency have deepened.

He further alleged that despite his repeated pleas to the authorities they failed to restore the transformers and keeping some more transformers stand by in case of emergency so that people are not made to suffer. He also termed the replacement and installation of transformers in farflung areas a big scam saying over Rs 50,000 are charged for loading and unloading of a transformer which needs a thorough probe.

The Congress Leader, made an appeal to Governor, Satya Pal Malik to take stock of the situation in snowbound areas which remained cut off from rest of the State for a week now and issue directives to the administration to ensure immediate supply of essential commodities in these areas so that the people are not put to more hardships. He demanded that essential commodities like ration and Kerosene Oil supply be maintained in these areas without further delay