‘Provide houses at respective GP limits’

District BJP leaders and members of Kodagu Prakruti Vikopa Santrastara Horata Samiti met Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy on Friday and urged to build houses for the natural calamity victims in the limits of their respective gram panchayat, as decided in the past.

Submitting a memorandum, BJP district committee general secretary Ravi Kushalappa said that not a single natural calamity victim has been allocated with a house so far. Moreover, there are confusions over the allocation of houses.

Ravi meanwhile pointed out that during the spot inspections held in the aftermath of the natural calamity, the officials had promised building houses closer to the site of the natural calamity victims. The sites were earmarked accordingly. But, all of a sudden, the district administration has decided to allocate the houses at the sites in far-flung areas, to the shock of the victims.

“Most of the natural calamity victims need their houses close to their farms which are attached to their old houses. If the houses are built at places far from their agricultural land, it would affect the livelihood of the victims,” he added.

Galibeedu Gram Panchayat president Subhash Nanaiah said that the owners of the sites should be allowed to shift the wooden logs washed away by the floods and accumulated in their lands. The Forest Department should collect the woods and should pay the owners of the lands suitably.

Prakruti Vikopa Santrastara Horata Samiti president M B Devaiah said that villages under eight gram panchayats are worst hit by the natural calamity. The respective gram panchayats should waive the loans availed by the farmers for the purchase of farm equipment.

Some victims are still dwelling in the places which are identified as vulnerable to natural calamity by the concerned department, as they have no place to go. The district administration should provide them with financial assistance in the form of the monthly rent, said Devaiah.

“Cloud seeding should not be carried out in Kodagu. It should be ensured that the water stored in Harangi reservoir is released when it reaches the maximum level, without waiting till August,” he added.

BJP district spokesperson Napanda Ravi Kalappa pointed out that some victims have lost their Aadhaar card, EPIC card and house documents. The administration should provide the victims with new documents.

Receiving the memorandum, Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy said that the district administration is building quality houses utilising government grants.

She said she has inspected the quality of the houses and that the work has been accelerated to ensure that the houses are distributed before the onset of monsoon.

“Construction of 500 plus houses is in progress in Jamboori village. Preference would be given to the victims in the first list. The victims should not be confused about the allocated houses and should live in the houses allocated to them,” she added.

Natural calamity victim B C Girija from Heravanadu village quoted the officials as saying that she would be allotted with the house in the second list.

“My house has been damaged badly and I cannot live in the house,” she said.

BJP Leaders Kanthi Satish, V K Lokesh and Taluru Keerthan were present.