Claiming that the nomadic population in the Valley were the worst hit in the recent earthquake, a Gujjar body today said "discrimination" is meted out against them during the distribution of relief materials.
"The people residing in upper reaches, especially the nomadic population including Gujjars and Bakkerwals are the worst affected by the devastating earthquake and majority of them are still awaiting relief material," Bhartiya Gujjar Mahasabha, president, Eshfaq-ur-Rehman Poswal, said in a statement here.
"We strongly contested state government's claims that relief material is being provided to each and every person affected in the recent earthquake in Chenab Valley," he said.
Poswal said that no official or minister has so far bothered to visit upper reaches to take stock of the people's problems after the earthquake.
"Ministers and officers have been visiting the areas which have road connectivity while nobody has so far bothered to visit the areas which are not connected by roads thereby leaving the people of these areas at the mercy of the God," he said and added that no relief material including tents have so far been provided to the affected people.
Poswal also demanded that government should immediately depute a high level team to the upper reaches so that exact losses of the Gujjars and Bakkerwals could be estimated and they could be provided relief accordingly.
Three moderate intensity earthquakes and five after shocks shook Bhaderwah valley and adjoining areas in Doda-Kishtwar belt of Jammu and Kashmir on May 15.
