Mother of 4 from Yangyang alleges panchayat apathy in exclusion from earthquake affected list

GANGTOK, 23 Oct: Panchayat apathy and mismanagement surrounding the disbursement of compensation to victims of house damages has been alleged from Yangyang in South Sikkim. While there have been a number of general allegations made against panchayats of not being sincere in the disbursement of compensation, a specific complaint has now been made by one Rekha Rai of Lower Garging, Yangyang, of the panchayats not entertaining her claim for house damages on the pretext that she had come in too late with her complaint.

She also contends that no panchayat member ever came visiting around the village to assess damages. Had this happened, her name would be in the list of victims, she states. All the victims had to approach the panchayats with their applications, she informs, which now raises questions as to how the categorization of house damages was done without any spot visits.
Not just the panchayat, she also states that the Yangyang BDO too turned down her application saying that she had to present it to the panchayat.
Ms. Rai is the head of her family with 4 children. Her husband, Dhan Kumar Rai, expired about 10 months ago.
Following the earthquake of 18 September, her house was severely damaged but she could not approach the panchayats as she developed a heart condition and had to come to Gangtok to see a doctor.
Talking to NOW!, she produces the prescription made out by a doctor at STNM Hospital advising total bed rest for a few weeks and to avoid tension or strenuous mental activity.
In such a condition, she says, she could not approach the panchayats of her area to put in her application for compensation.
It was only after she got better that she put in her application for compensation only to be told by the Panchayat President that it was too late now and that the last date was over. She had put in her application on 20 October, almost a month after the earthquake.
The next day, she approached the concerned BDO who again told her to meet her panchayat who had already turned her down.
Ms. Rai has alleged that most of the assessment for compensation done by the panchayat has been on an arbitrary basis as there was no actual assessment and villagers having been told not to disclose the actual amount handed over to them.
While her RCC house, she says, was badly damaged in the earthquake no panchayat member ever came to enquire about damages. It was only when her neighbours told her that they had received their compensation and that she too should apply did she approach the panchayats.
She has raised the issue of panchayats only doing their rounds of the villages during election time and not really caring for the people who voted them to power. There is also the possibility, she says, of the panchayats having “appropriated” her due compensation amount. In this regard she has appealed to the authorities to intervene.