JAMMU, Oct 11: Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (Bhim) President Vilakshan Singh has launched a scathing attack on the Union Territory administration for its failure to draw any lessons from the devastating fallout of torrential rains witnessed in previous years. Expressing deep anguish over the widespread disruption, waterlogging, and extensive losses suffered by citizens following the recent downpours, Singh condemned the government’s utter lack of preparedness and persistent apathy toward civic governance in the winter capital.
Singh remarked that despite tall administrative claims, the ground reality exposes a systemic failure, with normal life grinding to an absolute halt after just a few hours of rain. Taking a direct swipe at urban development initiatives, the JKNPP (B) chief stated that the much-touted Smart City project appears to have effectively turned Jammu into a “dumb city.” He alleged that hundreds of crores of rupees have been squandered on superficial cosmetic makeovers while the city’s fundamental drainage network, natural water channels, and storm-water nullahs remain choked, poorly planned, and unattended.
Highlighting the immediate human toll of administrative negligence, Singh pointed out that ordinary residents and traders are grappling with floodwaters entering homes and shops, resulting in heavy financial losses. More critically, the total collapse of civic infrastructure and mobility caused a severe blow to the job-seeking community. Due to submerged arterial roads and stranded transport services, scores of candidates were unable to reach examination centres and missed crucial recruitment tests. Singh strongly asserted that punishing unemployed youth for administrative incompetence is unacceptable, demanding that the authorities immediately reschedule and re-conduct the tests for all affected aspirants without delay.
Lambasting the bureaucracy’s lackadaisical attitude, Singh emphasized that the public continues to suffer solely due to administrative inertia and lack of foresight. He demanded that the government immediately institute a comprehensive ground survey across Jammu to map flood-prone localities and rectify faulty drainage alignments. Singh urged the administration to implement permanent structural measures on a war footing to ensure that recurring rains no longer paralyze civic life.