NCP hits at Gulam Nabi Azad over time-bound poll statement

Jammu: Hitting out at Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Gulam Nabi Azad for his time-bound poll statement, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Saturday said that Congress was more concerned about politics than rehablitation of flood victims in Jammu and Kashmir.

"We condemn the statement of former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in which he had demanded to hold assembly election in the state on the due date," State Chief of NCP's youth wing, Gourav Kapoor said on Saturday.

Azad had strongly batted for holding of Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir by due date without delay. He said in a section of media.

Taking a dig on Congress over the statement, he said this Party was more concerned about politics than the rehablitation of the flood victims.

He alleged that the Congress ministers from Jammu region who are holding various important portfolios were not spending the funds provided by the central governmnet for various flood control schemes properly.

Lashing at the state government for failure to reach out to the people of border district of Poonch with relief and reconstruction measures, Kapoor alleged that 40 villages in the bordering district of Poonch were still disconnected as several bridges washed away during the floods have not been repaired.

Gourav, who undertook a visit to flood-hit areas, said, "instead of streamlining the process of the distribution of relief and rehablitation for the flood affected families in the region, politicans were trying to play votebank politics". He said that residents of Poonch who have been bearing the brunt of the cross border aggression since 1947 also suffered official neglect after the devastating earthquake of 2005.

The party welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court and the state High Court to form a committe that would supervise the relief and rehablitation work in the state.

He said that the people of the area alleged that those who suffered no loss in the floods were given compensation cheques worth Rs 20,000 whereas the people who lost their homes were paid only Rs 2700.