Ramban (J-K), Apr 26 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said the purpose of his visit here along Jammu-Srinagar national highway was to convey a message that his government has not forgotten the victims of natural calamity despite its focus on Pahalgam terror attack.

Talking to reporters after chairing a meeting of officers to take stock of the situation, including restoration of essential services here, Abdullah announced five marla land at secured locations for those who lost their land and houses to the disaster on April 20.

Three persons were killed and over 600 houses and commercial buildings were damaged in the natural calamity which also caused massive damage to 250-km strategic Jammu-Srinagar national highway between four-km stretch from Maroog to Seri near Ramban town.

“Today, we have not come here to make any big decision. My purpose was to convey a message to the people that we are alive to their situation. We do not want them to think that all our attention is on Pahalgam and we have forgotten Ramban,” the chief minister said.

Abdullah said he decided to visit Ramban as soon as the situation post Pahalgam attack allowed him.

“I came to Ramban, met my colleagues and the people from the district administration and took a look at the situation. The highway has been opened for one-way traffic (on April 23). Tomorrow, because we want to work a little faster on the highway, maybe we will close the highway again for a day so that one of the closed tunnels is also opened,” the chief minister said.

In addition, he said the money that should be released for the restoration work has been released from Jammu.

“I have also told the administration and Deputy Commissioner (Ramban Baseer-ul-Haq Chaudhary) that there are many people whose houses have been damaged with some also losing the land beneath their homes which was washed away. I have asked the Deputy Commissioner to look for alternate land for rehabilitation of such families who lost land and houses so that they can be provided five-marlas land,” he said.

He said since the loss of commercial buildings is not compensated under SDRF norms, the deputy commissioner was asked to prepare a separate proposal for providing them adequate relief.

The chief minister said the people will be rehabilitated at a safer place where they not find the threat of landslides or flash floods due to cloudbursts.

After chairing the meeting, the chief minister visited flood-hit Dharam Kund village where three persons including two minor siblings were killed and dozens of houses were damaged.

Abdullah drove to Ramban town from Srinagar to get first hand information about the restored highway and reached Ramban town to assess the restoration works including opening of roads, clearing of sludge and restoration of water and electricity supply, the officials said.

This was the third visit of Abdullah to Ramban to personally monitor the relief and rehabilitation measures in the flood and landslide hit district.

On April 21, the chief minister visited the worst-hit Maroog-Kela Morh stretch and a day later visited Ramban town to assess the ground situation, assuring proper rehabilitation of the affected population. PTI COR/TAS NB