SGPC assesses losses suffered by Sikhs

Amritsar, Punjab: A seven-member team of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has commenced assessing the damages inflicted to life and property by the floods that hit Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) recently.

The assessment is being done to determine the extent of damage so that compensation can be given to families whose homes were washed away or damaged by the floods.

This exercise is only limited to Sikh families residing in and around Srinagar.

“Financial help for loss of life and property will be given only to Sikh families as it will not be possible to extend monetary assistance to each and everyone. So for the time being, we are only covering Sikh families in Srinagar and then in other parts of J&K,” stated Daljit Singh Bedi, SGPC additional secretary, who is a part of the SGPC team.

He, however, made it clear that essential commodities like rice, pulses, blankets and other items were being distributed among all families, irrespective of their religion or caste. “The SGPC relief camp at Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj does not discriminate on grounds of caste or religion,” he added.

In a release issued here by the SGPC headquarters on Monday, Bedi said a majority of the families, who were displaced by the floods, were returning to their homes. “The SGPC team is visiting these Sikh families to get an idea of the losses suffered,” he added.The SGPC team has, so far, toured areas such as Jawahar Nagar, Tulsi Bagh, Raj Bagh, Wazir Bagh and Shaheed Ganj, where they met a number of Sikh families.

Bedi said household items in these localities had been damaged and cleanliness of these areas was urgently required so as to prevent the outbreak of any disease.

He said water in a number of areas of Srinagar was still unfit for consumption.

The SGPC team will stay in J&K for a week and prepare a detailed report of the losses suffered by Sikh families due to the floods. The report will be given to SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar after which a decision on the monetary help will be taken.

Source: HT