Congress seeks Vaishno Devi probe headed by sitting or retired judge of High Court, also  to enquiry into lapses behind Chashoti tragedy

• Restore water, power supply, road connectivity on war footing

Jammu, August 30:   Congress today forcefully demanded that the Vaishno Devi tragedy probe should be headed by a sitting or retired judge of the high court to ensure free, fair, and independent probe into the huge tragedy, despite an advance weather alerts. It also demanded an inquiry into lapses behind the Chashoti tragedy and urgent measures for future facilities.

Addressing a joint press conference at party HQ here today, Working President Raman Bhalla, Ex-MP Ch. Lal Singh, Chief Spokesperson, Mr. Ravinder Sharma, Former Minister, Yogesh Sawhney, Former MLC Ved Mahajan, and others expressed great concern over the eyewash inquiry into alleged serious lapses that led to the incident. A similar type of committee, as was constituted on 1^st Jan 2022, has been again constituted, which shall report to the Chairman of the Shrine Board. He said the  report of earlier committee headed by same officer, has never seen the light of day and no action of any sort or its recommendations are known to anyone till now, despite a public interest petition in the high court. What is the fun of such committees which are aimed to divert the attention of the people from the tragedy for the time being, so the probe should be headed preferably by the sitting high court judge, similar enquiry should be held in the Chashoti, Kishtwar tragedy, which was also result of the failure to Authorities to take preventive measures despite clear warnings of the weather situation. Govt. should not take things lightly and casually into tragedies of huge magnitude. This was the result of criminal negligence, especially after Chashoti tragedy.

The party leaders expressed grave concern over the  water and power crisis into most parts of Jammu province and several parts of Jammu city and stressed upon immediate measures to press more men and machinery in all areas to restore connectivities water, power, shelter and ration.

The party demanded six months free ration to the affected people in the province apart from free/voluntary langer seva through Red Cross in worst affected areas for time being. They said our party workers, Seva Dal, Youth Congress and other civil society  is rendering assistance but it cannot be sufficient, without aid from the Govt.

The Senior Leaders asked the Home Minister to declare it as a national disaster and provide mega relief and rehabilitation package for private loss and infrastructure loss immediately. An interim relief installment should be immediately released to worst affected, who are shelterless and lost every thing.

The Congress leaders questioned the damage caused to the ecology of Mata Vaishno devi hills and other natural ecology enhancing to the magnitude of the tragedies affecting different  areas and public infrastructure and asked who was on the helm of affairs for last 11 years to allow illegal and unauthorized activities including large scale mining, wanton destruction of mountains, water bodies, lands, rivers etc.

They demanded a high-level Committee of experts be dispatched to examine the broader issues of ecological imbalance that has taken place and suggest measures for the future, as this devastation should leave as a warning to all. They demanded that the expert committee should also look into the reasons behind huge damage to major infrastructure and fix responsibilities whosoever technical and other faults are found. Seva Dal Chief Vijay Sharma, Chief Media Coordinator Neeraj Gupta were also present.

The party expressed profound grief and shock over the loss of seven members of a family in Badar area of Mahore, Reasi and five persons in Rajgarh, Ramban due to  land slides today. They assured the administration and people of all sorts of help and assistance for the recue and relief measures and urged for immediate relief to worst sufferers of the situation rising above party considerations.