Reiterating commitment to rehabilitate the flood victims and reconstruct the flood-ravaged infrastructure, Jammu and Kashmir Government today said efforts would also be intensified to ensure that such catastrophes do not recur in future.
"Rehabilitation of the flood-affected continues to be a work in progress, but there are still gaps in entire rehabilitation and reconstruction process which need to be filled at the earliest," Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said while chairing a Cabinet meeting here.
It was on this day last year that Jammu and Kashmir was hit by a devastating flood, one of the costliest natural disasters in the State's recent history.
The Chief Minister told his cabinet colleagues that reconstruction of the flood-ravaged infrastructure has already been taken up and visible progress made in restoring road communication network, bridges, health care and educational facilities.
"Work is in progress in other sectors as well and the rehabilitation and reconstruction process is going on," Sayeed said.
He hoped that the Centre will partner with the State Government in not only reviving the livelihood of the flood-affected people but also in rebuilding a safe and stable Jammu and Kashmir.
The Chief Minister said he was deeply saddened by the puerile comments of those who procrastinated when in power and were primarily responsible for the colossal damage to the life and property.
"The same people who were responsible for compounding the miseries of the people during the deluge because of their in-action are now trying to score brownie points over the people's tragedies," he said.
"While September 2014 deluge left behind a trail of destruction, devastating both private and public infrastructure, but the most remarkable facet at that horrible point in time was the awesome power of human kindness and compassion that enveloped us as hundreds of volunteers and forces personnel streamed into the deluged areas for rescue and relief operations," Sayeed added.
