Unfortunate: PDP slams Omar for targeting previous govts over floods

A political slugfest has erupted over the recent floods in Kashmir Valley after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday responded to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s remarks, in which he claimed that 11 years have been wasted by previous governments.

PDP leader and Pulwama MLA Waheed Para, in a post on X, stated: “It is deeply unfortunate to see Chief Minister Omar Abdullah turn to politics in the midst of a disaster. During the recent floods, your absence from J&K was glaring. Instead of acknowledging the work that partly saved Kashmir from sinking—unlike in 2014 under your leadership, when the Valley lay devastated and took years to rebuild through a massive reconstruction programme—you chose to score political points.”

He added that, at a time when protecting affected people should have been the priority, the focus shifted to blame games. “The hard questions remain: After the catastrophic 2014 floods, more than Rs 500 crore was allocated for the Flood Mitigation Plan, around Rs 350 crore was implemented under PDP rule, and Rs 200 crore is still ongoing.”

Para questioned why no minister-level reviews were conducted to monitor progress while key officials were absent from their posts. “In 2025, why was a flood-prone Valley left without a Chief Engineer for five long months (April–August)? Who allowed the Irrigation & Flood Control Department to remain leaderless during a peak crisis? Why were CE appointment files, already cleared by Cabinet, deliberately stalled in the CM Secretariat and Minister’s office? Who benefits when life-and-death decisions are delayed over unrelated bureaucratic issues?” he asked.

Para also questioned why it took devastating Jammu floods to finally force action. “With ample funds available and the situation demanding emergency crisis management, why does the government indulge in blame games instead of taking responsibility? Who will answer for this abdication of duty—the CM, the Minister, or both?” he asked.

Meanwhile, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti urged Omar Abdullah to raise with the Centre the issue of flood management packages previously sanctioned for the Union Territory lying unutilised. She also urged him to start dredging and other related works in Jhelum river immediately to safeguard the lives and properties of the people.

Mufti visited various flood-ravaged areas in Bijbehara of south Kashmir's Anantnag district to take stock of the situation and express solidarity with the affected people.

"I appeal to Omar Abdullah to take up with the Centre the issue of Rs 1,630 crore, sanctioned under Prime Minister's package for Jhelum, that was not used here," she told reporters.

On Thursday, Omar, while talking to reporters during an assessment of flood-damaged areas in Srinagar, said his government would seek answers for the “negligence” since the 2014 Kashmir floods. He said, “It seems that 11 years have been wasted by previous governments.”

National Conference spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar, in a post on X, said, “Since 2015, J&K has faced repeated floods, worsened by PDP-BJP’s post-2014 inaction and the LG’s (BJP) six-year neglect of Jhelum and Tawi flood defenses. JKNC will urgently revive stalled projects, fortify embankments, implement early warning systems, and restore our dying wetlands.”