Saroori visits Margi cloudburst victims, accuses government of neglect, stresses fair compensation and financial aid for genuine sufferers

MARGI WARWAN: A Congress delegation led by senior leader and former minister Ghulam Mohammad Saroori visited Margi Warwan to meet the families affected by the recent devastating cloudburst.

While interacting with the victims, Saroori said the administration, under the supervision of SDM Dr. Mohammad Ashraf, was present on the ground to extend relief and support. He informed that he had already briefed the Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar about the problems being faced by the people of Margi.

Terming the tragedy a natural calamity, Saroori urged people to pray to the Almighty for protection from such disasters in the future. At the same time, he strongly criticized the Lieutenant Governor’s Administration, the Chief Minister, and the Central Government for “ignoring Margi and failing to reach out to its victims.” He questioned why relief efforts were focused on Chishoti while Margi was left unattended. “It was commendable that leaders reached Chishoti, and we pray that such a tragedy never occurs again. But the fact that neither the L.G. Administration, nor the Chief Minister, nor any minister came to Margi is deeply unfortunate,” he added.

Saroori demanded that financial assistance should reach the genuine sufferers without discrimination. He emphasized that those whose houses have been completely damaged must be compensated adequately, and priority should be given to the most affected families. He called for relief distribution on the “principles of justice” and urged the administration to verify damages carefully.

The Congress leader also confirmed that the Deputy Commissioner had announced assistance under the SDRF, amounting to ₹1.38 lakh for fully damaged houses. “Congress is committed to serving the people, and I assure you of all possible help,” he added.

Earlier, SDM Marwah Dr. Mohammad Ashraf, who has been camping in the affected area, briefed the gathering about the measures taken by the administration. He assured the victims that the government and its officials from various departments were with them during this crisis. “Our teams will verify the needy, and we will continue to stay in this village until every affected family receives the required assistance,” he said, urging people to cooperate with the relief efforts.

Locals expressed gratitude to Saroori for visiting them in their hour of need but also raised concerns about the functioning of the Revenue Department. They demanded that higher authorities be deputed to assess the losses as many families had lost everything in the disaster. They also urged that the Revenue Department make public the list of affected families to remove doubts and ensure transparency. Among those present during the visit were DySP Marwah Vijay Bhagat, Tehsildar Marwah, TSO, BDO, and officials from Revenue, PHE, and RDD departments.