Excelsior Correspondent
MAHORE, Apr 19: Even after more than three years, the flood affected families in remote Mlas village of Mahore division in Reasi district are still living in the tents as the Government failed to provide them adequate compensation and land for reconstruction of their houses.
Around a dozen families are still putting up in the tents, which were provided to them by local unit of the Army following devastating rains and consequent land sliding, which had severely damaged all the houses in the village.
Twenty eight houses were completely damaged in the land sliding while several others were partially damaged thus forcing the villagers to take refuge in the Government school building of nearby Mokha hamlet.
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Even as the administration provided them some temporary relief and ration, no permanent arrangement was made for their rehabilitation.
According to the ex-Sarpanch Mlas, Des Raj, at that time the Government had announced to provide the affected families piece of land and Rs 3 lakh for reconstruction of the houses besides compensation for the damaged crop, horticulture and other goods. However, only Rs 1.5 lakh were provided to those families whose houses had completely damaged while Rs 17000 or Rs 50,000 were provided for partially damaged houses, he added.
“Even as the area had developed cracks and become unsafe, no alternate land was provided by the Government for reconstruction of the houses with the result that around a dozen families are still homeless,” said Rikhi Ram, head of another family putting up in make shift tent.
Besides Des Raj and Rikhi Ram, families of Haji Jamal Din, Shanker Singh, Daler Singh, Master Jamal Din, Nain Singh and others are still putting up in the tents and thus suffering because of alleged apathy of the Government towards their plight.
These families are demanding reconstruction of their houses as done for the affected families in Dera Baba Banda Bahadur in Reasi. They also rued that the Government had not provided them compensation for their land, which was taken over by the Government for construction of PMGSY road in the area.
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