Attend cross-border shelling victims: JK govt to hospital

Jammu and Kashmir government today directed the hospital management here to remain vigilant, especially during night hours, to "properly" attend the cross-border shelling victims.
The direction was given by Public Health Engineering (PHE) minister Sham Lal Choudhary during a visit to government medical college here where he inquired about the condition of recent cross-border firing victims, an official spokesman said.
The minister interacted with the victims hailing from Satowali, Jagowal and Shekhpur in Suchetgarh and assured them that every possible help would be provided to them by the government, he said.
Choudhary asked the hospital management to maintain sufficient stock of drugs and first aid equipments besides keeping adequate number of ambulances on stand-by for shifting the injured patients.

The minister also visited the native villages of the victims and informed the villagers about the temporary shelters identified by the administration, the spokesman said.
He said Choudhary asked them to immediately shift to these safe places and inform the security forces about any suspicious activity in their area.

Later, the minister convened a meeting of civil officials and security agencies and enquired about the facilities being provided in the temporary shelter locations, including power and water supply, sanitation facilities, medical aid and communication systems.
He directed the health department to station ambulances at the vital locations to shift the victims to the hospital immediately and asked the animal husbandry department to provide free medicines to people whose livestock is injured in the firing, the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, the opposition National Conference today expressed dismay over "lackadaisical approach" of the coalition government in reaching out to the people in distress along the International Border in view of the continued shelling by Pakistan.
"The administration should shoulder its responsibility towards people in distress as the ruling dispensation has almost abandoned them," senior vice president of National Conference and former minister S S Slathia said after visiting the affected villages of Kesso, Rangoor, Kandral and Mahal Shah in the Ramgarh Sector.
He took stock of damages caused to residential houses, livestock and standing crops and interacted with the affected border dwellers.

Assuring the border residents that they were not alone at this hour of crisis, the NC leader accused the administration of adopting "nonchalant approach due to lack of political direction".
"Even as the border residents were grappling with adverse situation unfolded by continuous shelling and firing, the government was doing practically nothing in minimising their sufferings," he alleged and sought immediate relocation of civilians from the forward areas to safer lodging centres with all basic amenities.