Despite CM’s promise, Kangra families still await rehabilitation

Six displaced families belonging to the Muslim Gujjar community of Mand Bahadpur in Riyali gram panchayat of the neighbouring Fatehpur Assembly constituency in Kangra district have been awaiting rehabilitation for the past over three months.

Their houses, land and crops were washed away in flash floods in the Beas after the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) released excess water from the Pong Dam reservoir on August 6. Rendered homeless, they received only tarpaulins as immediate relief. The victims have submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu through the Fatehpur Tehsildar, urging him to fulfil his promise to rehabilitate them and provide the announced compensation for their lost dwellings, crops and agricultural land due to the release of water from the Pong reservoir.

Flood-hit residents Shamu, Mohammed Bilal, Baru, Mohammed Isa, Masoom and Baksho Devi said that the administration had assured them of ration supply and house-rent support but they had received nothing. They added that the owners of the houses where they were living had now asked them to leave, forcing them to

All six families are poor daily-wage earners and are unable to buy land to rebuild their homes. Baksho Devi said that her ‘pucca’ house was washed away in floods. Her husband and two sons were physically challenged. She urged the state government to take immediate steps on sympathetic ground to ensure the survival of her family.

Social activist Ramesh Dutt Kalia said that they had requested the Chief Minister to fulfil their demands. They warned that they would hold a protest and dharna outside the Assembly in Dharamsala if their demands were not addressed within 10 days.