Arms depot a requirement, donot try to score points on Khundroo, CM

Srinagar, Aug 21 (UNI) Warned against drawing a political mileage out of the Khundroo ammunition depot incident, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said it was a human tragedy and everybody should join hands to meet the challenge.

He ruled out the shifting of ammunition depot and said being a border state, army ammunition depots were a requirement in Jammu and Kashmir as in any similarly placed area of the country.

Replying to a discussion on 21 Field Ordnance Depot fire and subsequent blasts at Khundroo in south Kashmir, in the Legislative Council here, he described the incident as a human tragedy.

The Chief Minister warned against drawing political mileage out of it and called for invoking the spirit of post-2005 earthquake when the government, opposition and people at large joined hands to meet the calamity.

He said the loss of life and property suffered by villagers in and around Khundroo should not be made an issue to score points or take political advantage.

He appealed both ruling and opposition parties to join hands in reaching out to the affected population in their hour of need.

He said it was not an issue of any specific political party but a shared concern of all in the state and the country as a whole and called for reviving the spirit that dominated the state in the aftermath of October 8, 2005 earthquake when political differences were buried and people and parties took lead over one another in helping out the victims.

A similar response is required in this case also, he added.

Mr Azad dismissed the charges of alleged laxity on part of the government in responding to the challenge and gave graphic details of measures taken to deal with the situation immediately after the incident.

He said the district administration officials along with local MLA who is also a minister were at the site in less than two hours.

Recalling the day, he said he was in Delhi but remained in constant touch with the people back home. Two senior ministers, Abdul Aziz Zargar and Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed along with Divisional Commissioner and Inspector General of Police were rushed to the area, he added.

He said the immediate concern of the government was to get people out of the affected villages as live ammunition had flown into the nearby habitations and posed danger to human life.

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