J-K govt failed in flood rescue: Activist

Jammu and Kashmir Government has failed to respond to the recent natural calamity with alacrity and rescuing VVIPs and tourists, and not the common people, remained its priority, an RTI activist claimed here today.
'J and K Right to Information (RTI) Movement' chairman Dr Sheikh Ghulam Rasool told reporters that even Army was not seen in the first few days of the calamity and that the responsibility of rescuing people was mainly shouldered by local volunteers.
"The state government failed and remained destabilised for the first four days (after flood)... No pre-flood measures were taken. Whatever rescue operations had been done were only by local volunteers," he said.

Rasool alleged that rescuing tourists and VVIPs remained "priority" of the state government at the expense of citizens of Jammu and Kashmir.
Rasool, who had earlier served as doctor in the border area development programme in the Valley, is in Gujarat, along with his six other colleagues, to share their experience on implementation of RTI Act in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Even Army was not seen for the first few days. There is an instance when one Central Reserve Protection Force (CRPF) team was rescued by locals in Indiranagar area in Srinagar," Rasool said.
At least 280 people lost their life and thousands of houses were damaged during the recent flood in Jammu and Kashmir. The flood in the state was considered to be the worst in 109 years.