The plight of the villagers after the recent storm in Sagbari village of Kalampur panchayat under Kalampur block has now come to light. During a village visit yesterday, it was seen that the roofs of many families’ houses in the village’s colony had been broken and some houses were blown away.
Many families in the village are still living in mud and raw brick houses. According to the complaints of the locals, most of the eligible families, except for one or two, have been deprived of the Prime Minister’s Housing Scheme. If such a situation exists in the main panchayat of the block, then it can be easily imagined how much trouble people in remote areas must be facing.
An old man of the village said that bribes are being demanded to get houses under the housing scheme. “Where will the poor people get the money? I will remain like this for as long as I live, but I will not build a house by paying bribes,” he expressed his anger.
Similarly, a child was crushed along with his parents when the roof of his house collapsed. On the other hand, the sight of a Dalit widow living in a mud house with her two daughters and living on polythene sheets after the roof of the house was blown off in a storm was heartbreaking.
According to the villagers, there is growing resentment that even such helpless and deserving families are being deprived of government housing schemes. The role of the administration and elected representatives in this situation has been questioned.
During the visit, the villagers were advised to submit their demands to the Tehsildar and the BDO through party officials and villagers. The demand for providing housing and assistance to the affected families at the earliest is increasing.
