LoP Sunil Sharma briefs Defence Minister

Jammu, Aug 24: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sunil Sharma briefed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the situation in Chisoti, loss of precious human lives, and the extent of property damage.

As the Defence Minister could not reach Padder due to bad weather to visit cloudburst-hit Chisoti, Sharma gave him a detailed briefing through a video conference on the situation in Chisoti, loss of precious human lives, and the extent of damage to property.

The Defence Minister got connected from Raj Bhawan, Jammu, along with Minister of State (MoS) in the Prime Minister’s Office, Jitendra Singh and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to Padder through video link, where Sharma, along with the senior functionaries of the administration, gave a ground report.

Through the video conferencing, Sharma also apprised the Defence Minister of the role of voluntary organisations like RSS, Sewa Bharti, and local NGOs who have been working tirelessly alongside the administration.

Sharma has been continuously present at the site for over a week and has directly supervised the relief efforts.

Sharma highlighted the scale of damage to life, property, agriculture, horticulture, and livestock.

He underlined the religious and cultural significance of the Machail Yatra, pointing out that the current Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) road was not sufficient to bear the expected five lakh yatris this year.

Sharma demanded widening of the road, installation of crash barriers, and its takeover by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in view of its strategic and cultural importance.

He also stressed immediate construction of a motorable bailey bridge at Chisoti to restore vital connectivity, establishment of an Army Goodwill School at Padder to provide quality education to children in this remote and underserved region, sanctioning of a petrol pump at Padder as the absence of refueling facilities created major hurdles during rescue operations where heavy machinery had to be kept running continuously, installation of mobile towers in no-network zones to ensure communication during emergencies, to expedite release of financial support from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF), and sanctioning of a comprehensive rehabilitation package to cover the heavy losses suffered by agriculture, horticulture, livestock, and local businesses.

After listening to all the concerns and demands, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved on the spot the construction of the motorable bailey bridge at Chashoti, directed immediate steps for improving mobile connectivity, sanctioned the establishment of an Army Goodwill School, and gave directions for a petrol pump at Padder to meet the long-standing demand of the local people.

The Defence Minister issued clear and firm directions that there should be no compromise in relief measures and that every affected family must feel the support of the government in this difficult time.

He also assured that the Government of India would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of Padder, not only in providing immediate relief but also in ensuring long-term infrastructural development and disaster preparedness.

The LoP thanked the Defence Minister for his intervention, immediate approvals, and compassionate approach.

He said that strengthening the Machail Yatra infrastructure and overall development of Padder would provide security, livelihood, and dignity to the people of the region.