Bahuguna govt to relax compensation norms for disaster-hit

The Uttarakhand government has decided to relax relief and compensation norms for disaster-hit areas of the state making a provision for those unhappy with the amount given to them to approach a district level panel of local MLAs and MPs to seek a revision of the amount.
The decision was taken at a marathon five-hour meeting of legislators belonging to the ruling Congress and its allies chaired by Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna at his residence here yesterday.
Bahuguna assured that norms would be relaxed and announced that district level committees with local legislators and MPs on the panel would serve as appellate bodies for relief and compensation amount to be given to the affected people.

Anyone dissatisfied with the compensation amount for the loss of property or land could approach these committees to vent their grievances and seek a revision of the amount given to them as compensation, Bahuguna told reporters after he emerged from the meeting late last evening.
The Chief Minister also announced enhanced compensation for loss of mules and animals.
Mule operators will now get Rs 25000 instead of Rs 10000 announced for them earlier as compensation for the loss of their animals, he said.

Congress MLAs representing segments which were the worst hit in the mid June calamity also conveyed their unhappiness to the Chief Minister at the slow pace of relief and rehabilitation efforts under way in their constituencies.

They also raised objections to the callous attitude of the local administration to the woes of the affected people demanding more sensitivity on part of the officials engaged in relief distribution exercise.
Pradesh Congress spokesman Dhirendra Pratap said the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and ended with a firm resolve to speed up relief and rehabilitation work in affected areas with active cooperation of local MLAs.