The Uttarakhand Government has released Rs 3 crore to the disaster relief fund for Pauri district while the Pauri district administration demanded Rs 18 crore for the damaged government property and Rs four crore for the damaged individual property meant to be kept in the disaster relief fund for 2015-16. This amount released by the government is meant to compensate the individuals who have suffered damage to their property.
It is learnt that Rs one crore has been distributed among those who had suffered damage in June 2015.
The common refrain is that though the State government claims to do everything to give relief to the victims of natural calamity the amount being released by it is grossly inadequate. Those who have lost their shelters and livestocks due to natural calamities keep on suffering with the fund the government pledged to release remaining unreleased. The people sound angry over the government releasing no fund for the construction of Pauri bus station. Things have remained stuck due to fund crunch.
Social worker Bhagwan Verma said that the government is doing nothing to develop the remote areas of the district. “The disaster relief is scanty and erratic,” he said.
Notably, the released amount meant for disaster relief will be given to the SDMs of different Tehsils to be distributed among the victims. The disaster relief fund for the individuals when their houses suffer total damage is Rs 11,900 while it is Rs 5200 for houses partially damaged. Besides, the amount to be given for the death of the domestic animals varies from species to species.