22 yrs on, old city family awaits rehabilitation

Srinagar, Jan 16 : In a glaring instance of official apathy towards rehabilitation of families affected by the calamities, a family from old city area here is running from pillar to post for the past two decades to get promised rehabilitation.

The height of insensitivity towards the suffering family is that the officialdom of the State has even turned deaf ears to suggestion of the office of Vice -President of India for appropriate attention  in the case , not to talk of repeated recommendations from the offices of Chief Minister, Governor and Divisional Commissioner, held Kashmir for looking into the case.

Life took tragic turn for family of Mushtaq Ahmad Wafaie when their only source of livelihood- woodcarving showroom-was consumed by fire along with several houses and shops in Kawadara area of old city in 1990.  The property was allegedly torched by forces after a brief gunfight in the area.

According to official documents lying in possession of Greater Kashmir, the State Government sanctioned relief in favour of the families whose houses were gutted in the tragic incident vide Government order number 723-GR-(GAD) of 1990 dated 10-07- 1990.

Similarly, the families whose shops were consumed by the fire were rehabilitated by allotting them shops at Shaheed Gunj, the documents reveal.

But unfortunately, Mushtaq, who was expecting to get relief like other shopkeepers, was dejected when he found his name was missing from the list of beneficiaries.

 “One, Mushtaq Ahmad Wafaie, it appears did not figure in the list of sufferers prepared and as such he moved an application in your office and the Additional Commissioner referred the said application to this office for appropriate action under rules,” the communiqué from Deputy Commissioner Srinagar’s office  vide no.1121/R/91/4069-70 dated 19-12-1991to the Divisional Comissioner, Kashmir reads.

 “Thereafter, the case was subjected to various exercises for appropriate action and finally the report from Tehsildar came up that the applicant was a tenant of one Muhammad Ismail Najar and ex-gratia relief of damage to his (Ismail) house has already been released. The applicant Mushtaq Ahmad Wafaie is a tenant and has suffered a loss of merchandise to the extent of Rs 1.20 lakh. The tenant operated the business of woodcarving and also had a vast showroom there.”

The DC office, in the same communiqué, recommended the allotment of shop to Mushtaq like other seven sufferers.
 Like other beneficiaries, Divisional Commissioner’s office vide letter  No.Rehab-907 dated 22-4-1992 directed the Chief Engineer ,PWD (R&B)Srinagar to allot  a suitable shop at Shaheed Gunj for the affected family.

“My joy knew know bounds when I got order for allotment of the shop.  Then I approached   office of the Chief Engineer but the officials turned blind eyes towards the recommendation of  the State Government. I was shuttling for more than eight years between the offices of Divisional  Commissioner and Chief  Engineer  for getting promised rehabilitation, but neither any compensation was paid to me nor I was rehabilitated,” he said that  “The recommendation of the then advisor to Governor  Lt. Gen Sakalani  did no favour to me.”

 Eight years later, the Divisional Commissioner’s office repeated the direction of rehabilitating the family by allotting them a shop to Chief Engineer, R&B, “but it also met the same end”.

Despite facing tribulations at the hands of state administration, Mushtaq did not lose heart and continued his  struggle for promised rehabilitation . But deprivation of their lone source of livelihood made the economic condition of family miserable with every passing day.

Moved by Mushtaq’s plight, Additional Commissioner Kashmir virtually snubbed the CE,R& B while asking  him to allot a shop in  his favour “ to mitigate sufferings of the applicant”.

“Beneficiaries having similar circumstances have been allotted shops in 1990, while as this applicant has not got his due,” the communication of Additional Commissioner reads.

After failing to get rehabilitated despite repeated pleas to State Government, Mushtaq knocked the door of Vice- President of India to get “justice.”
The Vice- President’s office directed the Chief Secretary of the State to pay appropriate attention towards representation of the sufferer.

“The representation is being forwarded for your appropriate attention,” Under Secretary to Vice- President Mahitab Singh vide letter No. VPS –RS -10-12-2012/ US wrote to State’s Chief Secretary.

“Even after the intervention of Vice President, authorities are unmoved while my family continues to suffer,” he added.

Ends
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