Jammu: Working President of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) and former minister Raman Bhalla on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Union Government, describing Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s high-profile visit to Jammu as a “damp squib” that failed to provide any relief or reassurance to thousands of flood-hit families reeling under devastation across the province.
Bhalla said the Home Minister’s visit had been given massive publicity by the BJP, raising hopes among affected communities. However, he added, the visit ended in deep disappointment as no relief package or concrete measures were announced to address the losses suffered by the people.
“The flood-affected families felt completely betrayed after the visit. They were expecting strong assurances and tangible relief, but the outcome was just silence,” he remarked.
On Tuesday, Bhalla visited several areas, including Greater Kailash, Gangyal, Ward 56, Sector 1, 3, 4, and Babliana, to take stock of the situation of flood-affected people. Local residents of Gangyal were also present during his visit.
Former JMC chairman Satish Sharma, along with Gandeep Pargal, Rashpal Chand, Luder Mani, Sanjeev Katal, Sumanpreet Singh, Satpal Verma, Rajkumar, Om Parkash, Gotam Sharma, Jatin Vashisht, and others, accompanied Bhalla.
The JKPCC working president demanded that the recent floods in Jammu, which have claimed several lives and caused large-scale destruction of property, infrastructure, agricultural land, and livelihoods, be declared a national disaster.
“Unless Jammu’s devastating floods are declared a national disaster, proper rehabilitation and reconstruction will remain impossible. The Union Government must adopt Jammu and Kashmir for relief and rehabilitation in the same spirit as it has extended support to other states in times of calamity,” Bhalla said.
Raising questions over the preparedness and response of the administration, Bhalla sought a white paper on the measures taken for flood protection in Jammu and Kashmir over the last ten years. He accused successive governments of indulging in “mere photo opportunities” instead of initiating concrete preventive works.
“The bed levels of most canals and rivers have alarmingly risen in recent years because those at the helm failed to undertake proper desilting. Crores of rupees were shown as spent in the name of desilting, but the work only existed on paper. Had genuine efforts been made, many low-lying villages and towns could have been saved from the fury of floods,” he alleged, demanding a high-level probe into what he called “massive bungling and corruption.”
The JKPCC leader also voiced serious concern over the post-flood situation in various areas, where water continues to remain logged, raising the risk of an outbreak of waterborne diseases. He lashed out at the “casual and indifferent” approach of the authorities in tackling these health threats.
“The administration has neither mobilised adequate medical teams nor initiated sanitisation measures in affected areas. The lives of people are being put at risk due to negligence,” Bhalla said.
In an apparent jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bhalla accused the ruling party of ignoring democratic institutions and sidelining the elected government in relief and rehabilitation exercises. He appealed to the BJP to “rise above petty politics” and work in coordination with all stakeholders, irrespective of party affiliation, to provide timely and effective rehabilitation to the suffering population.
“Natural calamities do not discriminate on political lines. What the people of Jammu expect right now is empathy, accountability, and action — not rhetoric,” Bhalla emphasized, urging both the Union and J&K governments to immediately announce comprehensive relief measures, including compensation for damaged houses, crop losses, livestock, and restoration of essential infrastructure.
