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Lok Sabha's Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, is likely to visit Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday (May 24), Congress party sources said on Thursday. The region was recently hit by heavy winds and storms, causing major damage to schools and other buildings.
The visit comes as the people of Poonch struggle with the aftermath of the storm that hit the area on May 21. Several structures, including government schools, were damaged. The district has also been affected by recent cross-border shelling from Pakistan. Earlier, the Indian Army stepped in to help with emergency assistance in storm-hit areas. Schools located close to the Line of Control (LoC), especially in Gagrian and Sawjian villages, suffered serious structural damage. Schools in the Mandi zone also had their roofs blown away due to the strong winds. "Schools in our Mandi zone have suffered a lot due to the storms here... The high school here suffered the most, and is located very close to the LoC. The roofs of the schools have completely blown away which has created a lot of problems for our students and staff," a school staff member told ANI. The school staff member also expressed gratitude to the Indian Army for helping with the cleanup and repairs. He urged the authorities to provide financial help for rebuilding the damaged schools. "The Indian Army has helped us a lot, they cleared the debris which fell here... I would like to request concerned authorities to raise funds for the reconstruction..." he added. Apart from Poonch, several other districts in Jammu and Kashmir, including Rajouri, have also been affected. Locals have suffered damage to homes and loss of livelihood following Operation Sindoor, which was launched by India earlier this month. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has visited victims of the shelling in both Poonch and Rajouri. He has assured full support from the government, including help with rehabilitation. Sinha also held meetings with civil administration officials, police, and local residents. He announced that the next of kin of the victims will be given government jobs, and compensation will be provided to those who lost property. He also said a rehabilitation package for the affected will be approved by the Government of India, adding, "A necessity for bunkers is being felt. New bunkers will be built so that people of J&K can stay safe." India had launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, post Pahalgan terror attack on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 people, including a Nepali national. In response to the operation, Pakistan attempted to launch a series of drone and missile attacks targeting Indian military sites. However, India's Integrated Counter-UAS Grid and Air Defence systems effectively neutralised these threats, preventing any significant damage. (ANI)
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