The Hindu : More relief camps ordered closed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 18, 2002

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More relief camps ordered closed

By Manas Dasgupta

AHMEDABAD June 17. Even as the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, claimed "satisfactory progress'' in the relief and rehabilitation of the riot victims in the State, the Muslim victims have taken to agitational path to highlight the Government's "broken promises'' and their "unfulfilled demands.''

About 500 such victims observed a day's token fast and staged a `dharna' in front of the Sardar Baug in the heart of the city under the auspices of the Qaumi Relief Committee to protest the "tardy'' implementation of the Chief Minister's assurances.

But even before the dharna was over, the victims suffered yet another jolt with reports that the Government had decided to close down at least eight more camps in Ahmedabad. Though there was no official notification, the committee's general secretary, Shaukatkhan Tyrewala, claimed that they had been informed by the district Collectorate that essential supplies to eight more camps would be suspended forthwith on instructions from Gandhinagar.

Considering that there was a huge gap between the figures quoted by the Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, on Sunday and what was claimed by Mr. Tyrewala today about the number of relief camps still in operation and the inmates living in the camps, it was not clear which camps the Government proposes to close down.

Quoting the State Relief Commissioner, Mr. Advani had claimed that with a large number of riot victims returning to their homes, the number of relief camps had come down from 121 with about 1.5 lakh inmates to 19 sheltering about 18,500 riot victims at present. This included 12 camps in Ahmedabad with 15,300 inmates.

Rejecting Mr. Advani's statistics, Mr. Tyrewala claimed that 22 camps were still in operation in Ahmedabad sheltering about 49,000 people.

In addition, about 17,000 victims were still staying with their relatives and friends as they were unable to return to their homes for various reasons. The committee had planned to launch a dharna in the Collectorate office compound if the eight camps were "forcibly'' closed.

Mr. Modi, however, rejected the panel's claim that the Government had failed to implement the promises he had made earlier during a meeting with the minority leaders.

Senior officials had been deputed to carry out the relief and rehabilitation works and the Union Cabinet Secretary himself was monitoring the progress every week.

"Each of the assurances is being implemented sincerely and the progress is satisfactory,'' he added. The agitating minority leaders, however, differed.

According to Mr. Tyrewala, not one of the promises had yet been fulfilled or their demands accepted.

In the name of rehabilitation, the Government had been providing as little as Rs. 15, Rs. 50 or Rs. 100 for repairing damaged houses and in no case was the amount sanctioned more than Rs. 4,600 a house.

"Those who want to return to their houses could not carry out even 10 per cent of the repair work required with such meagre sanctions,'' he complained.

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