Sept 2: In the presence of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, a delegation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Jammu & Kashmir, led by party president Sat Sharma, met Union Home Minister Amit Shah today at Raj Bhawan and presented him with a detailed memorandum. Dr. Ashok Koul, BJP national secretary and MLA, and J&K BJP general secretary (Org) Narinder Singh, MP (Lok Sabha) Jugal Kishore Sharma, MP (Rajya Sabha), Ghulam Ali Khatana, general secretaries, Baldev Singh Billawaria, Sanjita Dogra, and Gopal Mahajan, MLAs S.S. Slathia, Sham Lal Sharma, Chander Prakash Ganga, D.K. Manyal, Pawan Gupta, Prof. Gharu Ram, Bhagat, Baldev Raj Sharma, Balwant Singh Mankotia, Vikram Randhawa, Yudhvir Sethi, Arvind Gupta, Surinder Bhagat, Mohan Lal Bhagat, Rajiv Bhagat, Kuldeep Dubey, and Sunil Bhardhwaj were part of the BJP delegation.
The delegation apprised the Home Minister of the grave situation caused by incessant rains, cloudbursts, and flash floods in the Jammu region, which have resulted in the loss of precious human lives and large-scale damage to homes, agriculture, business and public infrastructure.
The memorandum highlighted that the devastation is beyond the financial capacity of the Union Territory Government and outside the purview of SDRF norms. It, therefore, urged that the calamity be declared a “National Disaster” and that a comprehensive relief and rehabilitation special package be sanctioned to enable immediate assistance and long-term rehabilitation. The delegation pointed out that roads, bridges, and essential services like water supply, electricity, and communication have been badly disrupted, while thousands of kanals of agricultural land have been destroyed under sand and boulders. Farmers have lost standing crops and livestock, calling for immediate compensation and provision of free ration for at least six months until new crops are cultivated.
The BJP also demanded adequate support for families whose houses and belongings have been damaged, including repair grants for partially damaged dwellings. Businesses, shops, and small-scale industries have been hit hard and require revival assistance. Educational institutions across urban and rural areas, both Government and private, have sustained significant damage, necessitating compensation to restore normal functioning.
The memorandum further underlined the urgent need for restoration and upgradation of public infrastructure, particularly the water supply, power, sewerage, and drainage sectors. It stressed desilting of drains and nallahs on a war footing to avert health and sanitation risks.
For long-term measures, the delegation proposed dredging and channelization of major rivers such as the Chenab, Jammu Tawi and Balol Nallah, along with tributaries in Rajouri, Poonch, Udhampur, Samba, and Kathua, which repeatedly cause floods every few years. A comprehensive plan for Chenab has already been submitted to the Government of India and requires early approval.
The delegation emphasized that only a centralized intervention in the form of a national disaster declaration and special package can effectively address the crisis, provide relief to affected families, and strengthen resilience against future disasters. The Union Home Minister assured them of every possible help.