HP: Relief inadequate, need resettlement in safer place, say villagers hit by rain fury

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Shimla district have demanded that they be resettled in safer locations since their houses have suffered considerable damage and some even developed cracks following intense rains last month. The villagers in the district's Racholi panchayat area have been complaining that the relief provided by the state government following the cloudburst on July 25 was too inadequate. Many people continue to live with their relatives while others are lodged in the village's government school since their houses have become unsafe following the rain fury.

«My house has been damaged and the government has given Rs 5,000 as relief which is too little. We want that the villagers severely affected by the natural calamity to be settled at a safe place,» said JaDevi, a resident of Sunda village. «Everything got damaged because of the cloudburst.

So far, we have not received any help from the government,» an elderly villager claimed. Another villager, Santa Devi, said her family owned a cow and it was their only source of income. «It got washed away in the flash flood following the cloudburst.

Now we do not even have the money to pay our daughter's college fees,» she said. Rampur Sub-Divisional Magistrate Nishant Tomar said that the loss due to last month's natural calamity has been assessed and relief would be provided based on the parameters fixed by the government. The opposition BJP has slammed the ruling Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, alleging that the relief being provided to the people was inadequate.