THE financial package announced by the prime minister of India and details given by the chief minister of J&K reveal that this package has nothing substantial to offer to the flood hit people and traders and the hype given to the paltry amount meant for flood relief is a cruel joke with the devastated families and the business establishment. ‘Most of the flood affected people genuinely complain that they have either received no relief amount from the government for their rehabilitation or have received peanuts only,’ said Mohd Yousuf Tarigami, CPI(M) leader and MLA at a press conference held at Jammu on November 14. Over a year after the floods, the union government has announced the financial package but the relief amount of Rs 2000 crores has left the flood victims dismayed. It is simply a crude joke on the part of the government of India and the state government which is giving an unwarranted hype to these peanuts. The government has virtually restricted its flood relief measures to making illusive announcements without any substantive action on providing monetary relief to the flood victims commensurate to actual losses suffered by them during the devastating deluge last September. It is shameful to say the least. Even the figures regarding the flood victims is being manipulated. The huge losses suffered by the peasants, orchardists have not been taken into consideration. No amount of relief has been earmarked to provide relief to the affected peasants and orchardists. The genuine demand of the growers to wave off the KCC loans has been altogether ignored. It is disappointing that the demand for construction of a tunnel from Zaznar to Chathapani on Mughal road has not been met. This tunnel would have bypassed the slide prone areas to ensure round the year connectivity on this road. Besides, the proposal for construction of Vailoo-Singhpora tunnel that would have connected Chenab Valley with Kashmir has not been met. This long pending demand virtually was not even prioritised by the present coalition government. The insufficient funding to power sector has disappointed the people. The power scenario in the state is in bad shape and expectations were aroused by the authorities regarding adequate funding to overcome the crisis in this sector. The promises made by the alliance government for getting back two power projects ie, MW Uri-I and Dulhasti proved a mere hoax. Establishment of Indian Institute of Technology, Indian Institute of Management and Indian Institute of Mass Communication should have been also sanctioned for Kashmir as well for a fair and equitable development. Depriving valley from these institutions is bound to create deeper dissatisfaction among the people, said Tarigami.