Ranchi, April 8: Chief minister Raghubar Das today announced compensations for below poverty line (BPL) families of Godda who lost their houses, crops and cattle to a severe hailstorm on March 30 during a tour to the affected villages that was marked by protests from a section of local residents.
Das, who undertook the visit after Poraiyahat MLA and JVM legislature party leader Pradip Yadav raised the matter at an-party meeting to discuss the domicile policy yesterday, flew to Godda in the morning and drove to over half-a-dozen villages to speak to the residents. He also promised compensation to the affected families besides asking local officials to speed up relief work.
Das was accompanied by Godda MLA Raghunandan Mandal and Mahagama MLA Ashok Kumar.
But residents of nearby villagers didn’t take kindly to the fact that the chief minister was being benevolent to only a handful number of villages while they had also been badly affected by the storm.
“While passing through the villages, the chief minister had to face protests from the people of other nearby hamlets. They complained that though their houses and crops had been also damaged in the hailstorm, there was no one to listen to their woes as they were not carrying banners of any political party. The chief minister promptly directed the Godda deputy commissioner to do the needful,” said a senior official posted at the chief minister’s secretariat.
Back at the district headquarters, Das held a meeting with the officials to work out compensation packages for various categories of damages. While it was decided that Rs 75,000 would be given to such BPL families whose concrete houses have fully been damaged in the hailstorm, Rs 12,699 was fixed for partially damaged concrete house, Rs 17,600 for fully damaged mud house and Rs 3,800 for partially damaged mud house.
For death of cow/buffalo, a family will get Rs 20,000 each, Rs 15,000 for ox and Rs 100 each for hen/duck/pigeon.
It was also announced that the farmers will get free seeds.
A communiqué later released by the state information and public relations department said that Godda district has so far spent Rs 1.13 crore on relief work.
On his way back to the helipad, Das was greeted by a group of people protesting against the deteriorating law and order.
In the state capital, MLA Yadav expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of Das’s visit. “The compensations that the chief minister announced are meant for BPL families. Disaster management guidelines don’t discriminate between people living above and below poverty line.”
