Did you bill Nepal too?: Flood-hit, angry Kashmiris question Army's Rs 500 crore bill for rescue and relief

Srinagar: Anger is growing against the BJP-PDP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir after the Centre diverted Rs 500 crore from Rs 1,667 additional assistance to the flood-hit state towards the bill footed by the union defence ministry for carrying out relief and rescue operation when the state was hit by worst flood in a century last year. While the opposition has cornered the state government over the issue, people whose houses were damaged by the floods say the Centre has played a “cruel joke” in the name of rehabilitation in the state. It took Imaad Nazir more than ten years to build a house in Jawahar Nagar locality of Srinagar. On September 7 last year when flood water marooned many parts of the Kashmir valley, Nazir’s house was also hit and the first floor remained under water for days. “We moved inside after the water level receded, but the house had developed cracks and engineers advised not to live there,” Nazir who has taken up a rented accommodation in a nearby locality, told FirstPost. [caption id=“attachment_2185217” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Policemen carrying sandbags to strengthen an embankment in Srinagar during the floods. (Image courtesy: Police media cell)[/caption] Scared by the prospects of living in a damaged house, Nazir’ family decided to dismantle the structure which cost then Rs 25,000, “The government officials have given us compensation cheque of Rs 3,800. It was like rubbing salt on our wounds and we returned the cheque. How could I build a new house with that amount,” Nazir asks. The rehabilitation of the flood affected victims in Kashmir was one of the main points in the “Agenda of the Alliance” worked out when the BJP-PDP government came into office. The coming together of two diametrically-opposite parties in the state had raised hopes that central government led by BJP would be generous in quick rehabilitation of flood victims. But four months have already passed and the money doesn’t seem be flowing into the state as expected.   “PDP had promised to pay Rs 9 lakhs to peoples whose houses were totally damaged. We have only received Rs 36,000,” Mudasir Mir, a resident of Nowgam Bypass, one of the worst hit localities in Srinagar, told FirstPost. Mir, a driver by profession, whose house was razed to ground in the floods, borrowed cash from his friends and relatives for constructing a single-storey house after nine months. “Whatever I earned by the day, I spend on my family. We are living in a rented accommodation. Now where is Mufti Sayeed who has promised stars to people whose houses were damaged,” he says. According to the state government’s estimates, 2,61,361 structures were damaged, 21,485 of these were completely destroyed. At least Rs 312.53 crore has been disbursed to 2,56,801 families as per the State Disaster Relief norms, and resolution of the remaining cases is ongoing. Those whose houses where completely damaged were paid Rs 75,000 to rebuild a fully-damaged concrete house, Rs 3,800 for a partially damaged and Rs 1,500 for damaged possessions. Anger was brewing in the state against the ‘measly’ relief assistance by the government and now the government has been cornered by opposition after the reports of cash diversion to the Union Defence ministry. “The army and the government of India has said that rescue operation was service to humanity for winning the hearts of people. Do you win the hearts of the people by raising bills for service to humanity. Would they do the same with Nepal,” Shakeel Qalander, an industry leader based in Kashmir told FirstPost. The operation carried out by Army was telecast live on TV stations, something which the senior officers of the Army have admitted “was not a good decision”, since it had raised questions over the intention. Now, the bill has further damaged the image of forces in the state. Minister of State for Power and Industries Mohammad Ashraf Mir says the decision to allocate the funds meant for the floods effected state is “unfortunate” one.  “The army has said they were helping people in the flood. It is very unfortunate that Army has now charged money for rescuing people,” Mir said. “The Centre also helped people during the Nepal earthquake. If they are charging their own people for rescue operations, would they also charge the Nepal government for carrying out such operation,” Mir asks.