Rs 3800 compensation cruel joke: Bemina flood victims

Terming as ‘cruel joke’ the grant of Rs 3800 compensation to deluge hit households by the government, the residents of flood stricken Bemina, alleged that they were discriminated against by the Revenue officials in respect of compensation.
“By and large all the victim households of the colony were given cheque for Rs 3800 each as damage  compensation by the Tehsildar concerned notwithstanding huge damage caused to their residential houses by the catastrophic floods that hit the area on September 7, 2014. All the residential houses in the colony remained submerged in flood waters for over 25 days, causing colossal damage to the walls, rooms, windows and doors of houses besides electronic appliances and gadgets, floorings and essential commodities,”  said a delegation of residents from Nund Reshi Colony-A led by Mohalla president Nazir Ahmad Baba.
“The revenue officials during the survey ignored the damage caused to the victim households in the colony and arbitrarily recommended Rs 3800 as compensation to 248 households. They identified few houses including House No. 98 as unsafe and unfit for residential purposes but these houses have not till date been officially declared so (unsafe and unfit) for unknown reasons,” Baba said, adding that “The revenue officials in various other localities during survey recommended at random Rs 12600 for each household for obvious reasons.”
They appealed Governor N N Vohra for intervention and enhancement of the compensation.