TUESDAY, 30 SEPTEMBER 2014

STAFF REPORTER1223 VIEWS

Srinagar: Even though the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had announced that relief material meant for the flood victims should not be stopped at any airport, the authorities at Delhi and Mumbai airport stopped the consignments being sent as relief material to Kashmir.
After facing severe criticism from various quarters, the Jammu and Kashmir government issued order by authorizing the NGO’s and individuals to self certify the consignments .The directions came after an initial SRO was issued on September 20 asking the people to get an NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the Resident Commissioner Delhi or concerned District Commissioners. This had created panic among the airlines and other carriers who had started seeking certificates from the donors and senders before lifting the packages and due to this a lot of relief material was held back even before reaching the valley.
Notwithstanding the government orders, the airport authorities at Delhi and Mumbai didn’t allow the relief material meant for flood victims to be lifted to Kashmir. “We bought different items for flood victims of Kashmir include medicines, clothes and blankets. But the airport authorities refused to carry that,” said Rashid, whose consignment was stopped at Bangalore airport.
Similar complaints were received from Delhi airport where different airlines refused to carry the relief material. “With lot of hard work we are collecting all these necessary items for the flood victims of Kashmir. Though they allowed to carry the material for first few days but now they are refusing to do same,” said one of the volunteer.
“My consignment of medicines which included insulin injections was to be sent from Coimbatore, but the donors informed that the airline refused to pick it up yesterday citing the govt order on NOC’s”, said another volunteer.