Jammu, April 22 -- Chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said that the prime concern of his government was to restore the Jammu-Srinagar national highway (NH-44) at the earliest and assess the widespread damage for compensation to the affected people.

Omar was in Kela Morh, a few kilometres from the Ramban district headquarters along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. Omar said, "Our prime concern is to restore the highway at the earliest and assess the losses for compensation to the affected people."

He, however, hastened to call it a "national disaster". "It is not a national disaster...it is a localised one," he responded to a question. He said the district administration had been directed to assess the damage and submit a detaile...