Union Minister Jitendra denies adopting flood-ravaged village

JAMMU: Union Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh on Thursday denied adopting the flood-hit Saddal village of Udhampur district after The Tribune carried a report on Wednesday on the lack of civic amenities in the hamlet even four years after the minister publicly took it under its care.

A file photo of Saddal village which was ravaged by floods in 2014.

Vikram Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 17

Union Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh on Thursday denied adopting the flood-hit Saddal village of Udhampur district after The Tribune carried a report on Wednesday on the lack of civic amenities in the hamlet even four years after the minister publicly took it under its care.

While official records as well as media reports authenticate the report about Jitendra Singh having adopted the flood-ravaged village four years ago, the minister has now denied making such a public declaration.

In an official statement issued on behalf of the Union Minister, the state BJP today clarified that Jitendra Singh, Lok Sabha member from the Udhampur-Doda-Kathua parliamentary constituency, had never officially adopted this village. The party, however, claimed that the minister had “contributed nearly Rs 80 lakh from his voluntary sources for the reconstruction of this village, and for that he deserves exclusive credit”.

However, a Press Information Bureau release dated March 29, 2015, on the subject reads: “Dr Jitendra Singh said he was particularly pleased to know that he had himself, with the help of an NGO, adopted the flood-ravaged village of Saddal in Udhampur to be developed as a “smart village”...In Saddal, nearly 40 hutments had already been allotted to locals and the whole project is likely to be completed by mid-2016.”

His Facebook account also contains a post on February 1, 2015, about the press conference convened by him on Saddal, adopted by him to be developed as a smart village.

Supporting the minister, the BJP spokesperson said: “It is not the MP but the Jammu & Kashmir Bank which has adopted this village and has so far spent Rs 1 crore to construct houses for the poor and genuinely deserving families.”

Although the Union MoS claimed that the village was “owned” and not “adopted” by him, in his earlier visit to state while addressing a press conference he had categorically used the word “adopted” for Saddal village and had promised to develop it as a “smart village”.

Talking to The Tribune, Jitendra Singh said that owning a village did not mean adopting it. “We had owned it for voluntary assistance and not owned it officially,” said Jitendra Singh.

He further said that owning the village did not mean that it was adopted officially under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana.

On September 6, 2014, at least 40 persons were buried alive after Saddal village was hit by landslides following incessant rains. The bodies of four persons are yet to be traced.

What minister claims now

Talking to The Tribune, Jitendra Singh said that owning a village did not mean adopting it. “We had owned it for voluntary assistance and not owned it officially,” said Jitendra Singh. He said owning the village did not mean that it was adopted officially under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana.

Press Information Bureau reported in 2015...

Dr Jitendra Singh said he was particularly pleased to know that he had himself, with the help of an NGO, adopted the flood-ravaged village of Saddal in Udhampur to be developed as “smart village”...In Saddal, nearly 40 hutments had already been allotted to locals and the whole project is likely to be completed by mid-2016.