Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 13: Feeling ditched by the Government after being promised the moon, the earthquake victims of Chenab valley have flatly refused to accept the financial assistance for the restoration of their damaged houses on the ground that the aid was too paltry to bring them out of the prevailing situation.
Due to this stand of the natural calamity hit people of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban, the Government is in quandary as on one side the Union Government has not given any nod to Rs 607 crore relief package sought by the State Cabinet and on the other side fear of damages increasing during forthcoming rainy season is looming large.
According to the official sources, 1139 houses got damaged fully, 14269 severely and 56500 partially in the earthquake, which rattled Chenab valley region comprising districts of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban on May 1. Soon after the announcement of Rs 25 crore by the Chief Minister on May 6, the civil administration of these districts started preparing the cases for disbursement of financial help to the people for restoration of damages suffered by their houses.
Following the laid down norms, the administration conveyed to the people that an amount of Rs 35,000 would be paid for the fully damaged Pacca houses and Rs 15,000 for fully damaged Kacha houses. Similarly, the administration offered Rs 6300 for Pacca houses, Rs 3200 for Kacha houses under the severally damaged category and Rs 1900 for the partially damaged houses.
However, not even one family has taken this financial assistance till date and made it clear to the administration that they would prefer not to repair their houses instead of taking paltry sum from the Government. “Several Ministers and other politicians on behalf of the Government had announced that we will be provided relief at par with the flashflood victims of Ladakh but now we are being told to accept paltry sum”, some hapless people told EXCELSIOR, adding “had the Government not been able to treat us at par with Ladakh people it should not have promised the moon to us”.
“Don’t add insult to the injury by offering paltry amount. Instead you take Rs 1900 or Rs 3200 from us for the Government coffers”, sources said quoting a group of angry people having told a visiting senior Cabinet Minister at Doda recently.
In response to a question, sources said, “the Government is in quandary as on one side the people have refused to accept the financial aid under the existing norms and on the other side the Union Government has not taken any decision on Rs 607 crore demand projected by the State Government”. No doubt the Government has proposed Rs 2 lakh for houses having suffered more than 60% damages and Rs one lakh for less than 50% damages before the Union Government, the same would become reality only after the Centre sanctions the package, sources added.
Justifying the demand and immediate release of financial aid at par with Ladakh, sources said, “if the people fail to repair the damages the situation is going to become worse during the forthcoming rainy season and make all such houses unworthy for residing”.
The rainwater will pass through the cracks and further worsen the condition even of those houses, which have only suffered partial damages and in order to avoid peculiar situation the Government must vigorously pursue sanctioning of Rs 607 crore financial assistance, sources said, adding “majority of the houses which have suffered damages are made up of mud and stones as such their chances of falling victim to even one or two spells of heavy rainfall are more”.
Sources further said, State Government should take advantage of visit of All India Congress Committee (AICC) vice-president, Rahul Gandhi to the Doda district on June 15 and press for immediate sanctioning of the package submitted to the Union Government”.
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