UDHAMPUR: BJP leader and MLA Udhampur East Ranbir Singh Pathania on Saturday undertook a tour of Peouni village in Tehsil Majalta, along with the local administration, to take stock of the situation arising out of the damage caused to houses by landslides triggered by recent heavy rains.
Seven households in the area have been impacted by the landslides, leaving affected families facing serious hardship. Pathania took detailed feedback from the affected people and assessed the damage on the ground, stressing that protection of life and limb of the people must remain the foremost priority.
Pathania directed the concerned departments to undertake immediate relief and restoration measures. He called upon the Irrigation & Flood Control Department to formulate a comprehensive protection plan for the affected area so that further damage to houses and property could be prevented.
He also stressed upon the administration to ensure that suspended water pipelines, road connectivity and electricity lines are restored at the earliest. He said the restoration work should be carried out in a humane and sensitive manner, keeping in view the difficulties being faced by the affected families.
Pathania further called for immediate compensation and relief to the affected people, saying that families whose houses have been damaged or rendered unsafe due to landslides cannot be left to fend for themselves. He urged the administration to ensure prompt assistance and rehabilitation of the affected households.
Pathania said that the situation at Peouni is not an isolated instance. Last year too, landslides and heavy rains had caused damage to houses in areas including Sundla and Krimchi-Mansar, with affected families continuing to await adequate relief and rehabilitation.
Pathania pooh-poohed the Sarkar over its backtracking and inordinate delay in allotment of five marla land to families affected by landslides.
He said that in the last week of August 2025, the government had announced that orders would be issued regarding allotment of five marla land to people whose houses had been damaged by landslides. However, despite the passage of several months, the affected families are still waiting for relief.
He said that dozens of cases have since been forwarded by the concerned Tehsildars, but not a single case has so far been accorded the necessary approval, leaving the affected people in uncertainty.
Pathania said that people from Sundla, Krimchi-Mansar, Peouni and other affected areas are still waiting for rehabilitation, with several families having no proper houses to live in.
He questioned the government over the delay, saying that announcements of relief have little meaning unless they translate into actual assistance on the ground. He demanded that all eligible cases be cleared expeditiously and the affected families be provided land, compensation and other rehabilitation assistance without any further delay.
Earlier, Pathania inaugurated the construction work of Dhar Road to Sortha road, a 3.75-kilometre road being constructed at an estimated cost of ₹7.46 crore u/PMGSY.
The inauguration received a tumultuous welcome from the local people, who expressed their appreciation for the commencement of the long-awaited connectivity project.
Addressing the gathering, Pathania said that the Modi Government’s mantra is to reach out to the last man in the last row, with “Seva Hi Sushasan” being the hallmark of its governance.
He said that development is meaningful only when it reaches the remotest habitations and benefits the common people. Providing connectivity and metalling every road remains a cherished goal, he said, adding that the Dhar Road–Sortha project would substantially improve connectivity and facilitate development in the surrounding areas. Pathania reiterated that public service, development and relief to people in distress would continue to remain his priority, in keeping with the spirit of Seva Saptah and the philosophy of “Seva Hi Sushasan.”
