Srinagar, Aug 18 (KNS): Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the administration’s priority in Kishtwar is to recover the missing, support the affected families, and take expert measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
According to KNS, Omar said around 70 people remain missing after the cloudburst, and the chances of finding them alive are almost impossible. “Our effort will be to retrieve as many bodies as possible and hand them over to families for proper last rites,” he said.
The Chief Minister clarified that the disaster in Kishtwar was caused by a cloudburst and not by the bursting of glacial lakes. He said a team of experts has been appointed to assess vulnerable areas and suggest measures to reduce future risks.
On education, Omar admitted there are weaknesses in infrastructure and shortage of teachers in remote areas but assured that the government is committed to providing modern classrooms and better facilities.
Omar said, “Messing with history, especially by politicians, is wrong. Governments change, but history should remain truthful.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelLet children learn facts and decide for themselves.”
Reacting to the opposition’s criticism of the signature campaign for restoring statehood, Chief Minister Omar said it's expected that the opposition will disagree with the government's efforts. He said that when the government wasn’t engaging with the public, questions were raised about the lack of involvement.
"Now that we’re reaching out to people, they have a problem with that too. If they don’t want us to work towards statehood restoration, that’s up to them. Their role is to oppose, and ours is to act, let everyone do their part," he said.
Speaking about the upcoming Vice Presidential elections triggered by Jagdeep Dhankhar’s resignation, Omar expressed doubts about the Centre’s intentions. He said there’s still no clarity on why the election was made necessary in the first place. “Since Dhankhar sahib stepped down, he hasn’t been seen. I genuinely hope he’s well, but I strongly feel the INDIA bloc’s nominee deserves to win,” he addded.
(KNS)