Jammu: Union minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday reached out to people admitted in the Government Medical College here with injuries from the cloudburst and flash floods that struck a remote village in Kishtwar district two days ago.
Singh said the search and rescue operations are continuing round the clock and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is personally monitoring the situation.
He said 53 bodies have been recovered so far.
“Prime Minister Modi is personally monitoring the rescue and relief operations. On the very first day, he held a review meeting. On Friday, he spoke to the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister and received a briefing. He continues to assess the situation from time to time,” Singh told reporters at the hospital.
Singh, who had visited the disaster-hit Chisoti village on Friday night and returned on Saturday afternoon, was briefed about the treatment given to the injured.
“When the Prime Minister himself is monitoring the efforts, every government department is fully active and working in tandem. The compensation will also be more than expected,” he said.
He said the Union Territory government has no reservations in this matter.
“Along with the Army, BSF, CRPF and other Central forces, the Government of India and the state administration are fully involved in rescue operations. The DGP (director general of police) himself is camping there as part of the support structure. The Border Roads Organisation is involved as there is a lot of debris to be cleared,” he added.
Terming it a “big catastrophe”, Singh said, “When compared to similar calamities in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, this is the biggest catastrophe so far. This is a testing time for all of us.”
He explained that the Air Force support structure could not operate in Chisoti due to weather constraints. “We dispatched vehicles carrying equipment overnight so that the rescue operation does not fall short of them. But two Indian Air Force helicopters are still stationed in Udhampur, ready for deployment.”
