JK govt failed to give relief to quake victims: PDP

Opposition PDP today criticised Jammu and Kashmir government for its alleged failure to provide relief to earthquake victims in the state.
"The state has reached a stage where even disasters and calamities are unable to move the government...It seems the entire government is on a holiday with chief minister not finding time even for an aerial survey of the quake-hit areas of Doda-Kishtwar region," PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said while addressing a public meeting at Akingam in Anantnag district of south Kashmir.
Expressing concern at the "inability" of the government to respond even at a minimal scale to the widespread devastation caused by earthquakes on May 1, she said, "People there are reduced to destitution but the government has failed miserably to react."

Mufti said after the experience gained in dealing with natural calamities in the wake of 2005 earthquake, the state should immediately have put its disaster management apparatus in action as was done then.
She said, "The government must immediately provide prefabricated houses to the affected families as it is reported that almost 80 per cent dwellings in the region have become uninhabitable and the people were scared of using the damaged houses in their present condition."
She alleged that National Conference and Congress have been passing the buck to each other, which is causing great distress to the victims of the earthquake.

Referring to the widespread Hepatitis C disease that has plagued the villages of Takiamagam and Sundbrari in Kokernag constituency, Mufti said though it was detected in December last, no medical aid has been provide to the hundreds of patients in the area.
Mufti said the spurious drugs scandal is only the latest to have surfaced under the present government.