Flood‘14: ‘Where is the relief we were promised?’

Flood victims say relief centres have been turning them away because they do not have orders to compensate them

FAISALABAD: Hundreds of villagers from Jhang, Shah Jabboana, Havaili Sheikh Rajo, Mandi Shah Jewna, Ahmadpura Sial and Garh Maharaja staged a demonstration against the government for failing to distribute compensation cheques in the area.

They gathered in front of Jhang district coordination officer’s office and chanted slogans against the district administration.

They accused the administration for being indifferent to their plight and delaying relief payments.

Talking to newsmen, Ghulam Nabi, one of the protesters, said, “The floods washed away our homes and damaged our crops.”

He said the government had promised to distribute compensation from October 1 so that the flood-hot families could make necessary purchases before Eid.

“We have visited flood relief centres several times,” he said. “Staff at the centres misbehave with us. They say they cannot give us compensation because they have not received orders in this regard.”

He said Eid was around the corner and hundreds of families had no money to buy food and clothes.

Muhammad Riaz, another protester, said food-hit families had been miserable.

“Many people have nothing to eat, or wear or even feed their children,” he said.

“When we request staff at flood relief centres to providing us relief goods, they tell us to wait until they get approval from higher authorities,” he said.

He said they had been waiting for approval from the “higher authorities” for a long time.

“Though the government started distribution of compensation at six flood relief centres, it ignored eight other flood relief centres in Jhang,” he said.

On receipt of information, a heavy police contingent reached the scene and negotiated with them. On being assured that their grievances would be addressed as soon as possible, the villagers called off their protest and dispersed.

Akbar Ansari, a spokesman for flood relief centre, said distribution at some places had not begun because lists of receivers there had not been finalised. Separately in Bahalwalpur, hundreds of flood-affected families on Thursday staged a protest demonstration against the government for failing to provide them compensation as promised. Families from Rasoolpur, Kachi Shukrani, Bakhtiari and other Mozas gathered on the highway and blocked it for traffic.

They chanted slogans against the government and burnt tyres.

Waqas Akram, a protester, told newsmen that the government had promised to give Rs25,000 compensation to each flood-hit family. He said the cheques were being distributed haphazardly. He said people had been promised that they would be given compensation as soon as possible, yet many names had not been included in the list prepared by the government authorities.

The flood victims protested for nearly 10 hours. National assembly member Syed Ali Hassan Gillani met with them and assured them that they would be compensated. He told them that he would resign from the parliament if he failed to provide them compensation.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2014.