There is need for Centre to provide relief package to J&K: Rahul Gandhi

Jammu: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that the Centre should provide relief package to flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir on the lines of Uttarakhand when the state was ravaged by the flash floods last year. A package of Rs 1,000-crore has been announced by the Centre for Jammu and Kashmir to cope with the destruction. [caption id=“attachment_1737883” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Rahul Gandhi. PTI[/caption] Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul are on a two-day tour to the flood-hit state. In Poonch district, Rahul said,“There is a need for the Centre to provide relief package to JK on the pattern of the Uttrakhand.” Asserting that the large question is how to rehabilitate flood-hit people of the state, Sonia Gandhi said that the state and Central governments will have to work together to meet the goal. “The larger question is how to rehabilitate flood-hit and provide them space to live honourably,” Sonia told reporters here today. “Both, the state and Central government will have to work together (to rehabilitate affected people),” she said. Sonia was flanked by Rahul, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, AICC general secretary Ambika Soni and JK Congress chief Saif-uddin-Soz. Before arriving in Jammu and distributing relief material to affected people of various Assembly segments, Sonia visited flood-hit people living in relief camps in Poonch district this morning. The Congress chief also met people in Noushera belt of Rajouri district, where 67 people drowned after their bus fell and washed away in a swollen river on 7 September. Sonia and Rahul met the kin of bus mishap victims and expressed grief over the tragedy besides assuring full support to them. When asked that most of the rescue and relief work was done by the Centre, Sonia said, “I do not play politics over these issue. Relief and rehabilitation come first. Everybody is trying their best”. “Our party workers have been active, youth Congress has been active, NGOs have been active,” Sonia said. “I met Chief Minister (Omar Abdullah) yesterday and he told that in a few days assessment report will being finalised and submitted to the Centre,” she said. “Almost everyone is affected and houses have been damaged in large numbers,” the Congress president said. Sonia and Rahul arrived here yesterday. They also visited flood-hit people in camps in Dehruna village in South Kashmir’s Dooru Assembly segment. PTI