MlAs want compensation amount increased

Published on:

20 Aug 2013, 12:00 am

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said that during Congress legislature party (ClP) meeting, MlAs have given several suggestions; “so we have decided to incorporate their good recommendations”.

They said that people, whose houses got damaged partially or more than 50 per cent, have to run after District Magistrate or Patwari for revision. “As we know that relief norms are being followed by the officials, but the State Government has decided that now onward, if affected people believe that they have not received compensation as per damage, then they can approach to the Disaster Relief compensation monitoring committee, which comprises of Ministers, MlAs and officials.

He made it clear that the State Government is seriously working hard to wipe the tears of affected people. Despite all this, if they believe that they are not being compensated then they can approach to the committee. With this decision, public representatives would be able to have control over bureaucrats.

He reiterated that there is no fund crunch for rehabilitation of villages and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure. Border Road Organisation (BRO) has been making all efforts to resume the road connectivity. “This year we have also decided to rebuild all the infrastructures including water supply pipeline or irrigation system whether it was damaged earlier or this year does not matter.”

Most of the MlAs demanded that compensation amount should be increased. For human loss, they demanded that the Government should compensate them `five lakh per person. They even sought compensation amount should be increased for loss of mules. Currently we have been paying `10,000 per mule as compensation so we have made request to the union government and hope we would get positive result in next few days. He also made it clear that state government has eased the norms of compensation but the relaxation will be applicable for this year only because it is special relaxation.

Now minister-in-charge will resume review meeting in their respective districts, so that things will improve in the near future. Getting excited after ClP meeting, Bahuguna said: “We have apprised our legislators about the State Government’s initiative to mitigate the disaster effect and rehabilitate the affected areas.” He also reiterated that he would call ClP meeting before Monsoon session of Vidhan Sabha, which is due in September 18.

Replying to media query about why you called ClP meeting, CM Bahuguna said: “We had convened all parties meeting, but could not convene ClP because legislatures were busy in their respective constituency. For instance if we would have organised such meeting earlier then Kedarnath MlA Shaila Rani Rawat might have not come to attend the meeting, but today she came because 90 per cent relief have been disbursed in disaster affected areas by the State.”

Talking to The Pioneer, Congress MlA Ganesh Godiyal said that Congress legislature party (ClP) meeting, which was called to educate the legislators about the rescue and relief operation done by the State Government after disaster on June 16-17 by the State chief minister, should be organised every two to three months. “With such meeting we can put rein over the bureaucrats, who put hurdle in execution of government welfare schemes, and expedite the development in the State.”