J-K floods: Cong asks Centre to increase chopper services

Congress today asked the Centre to increase the helicopter services in flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir and nominate a nodal officer to give out authentic information on the situation including that on rescue operations.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad along with Congress in-charge of party affairs in Jammu and Kashmir Ambika Soni and state Congress chief Saifuddin Soz visited the affected areas as the party distributed 1,000 kg of relief material here.

Azad said efforts to evacuate people and bring in more supplies need to be intensified.

He told PTI that he spoke to Home Secretary thrice yesterday on the situation and also sent an "SOS" to PMO as well as to the Defence Minister and Home Minister.

"Two-three things need to be done. Firstly, more helicopters need to be pressed into service to rescue people in inundated areas and ditribute essentials to them. Secondly, another airfield - Avantipora, should be reopened so that more flights can operate," Azad said.

He has also written to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in this regard.

Lamenting that nobody is briefing at the Centre about the situation in the flood-hit state, Soni said it is necessary that somebody provides authentic information at the central level as the communication network is almost dead in the state.

"Somebody should be nominated for providing such information. Even after yesterday's Cabinet meeting, the government said the state should be given all help. Has the Centre remembered the state now? There is no politics in this, but we want that relief should reach immediately to the affected people. The Army is doing a stupendous job," she said.