Naveed Ul Haq
Budgam, Sep 17: Seven years after a landslide killed sixteen people in Budgam’s Ladden area, the victims’ families are still waiting for compensation.
Family members said that the government, despite being aware of their situation, has not been able to fulfil the promises.
“On 29 March 2015, a landslide buried alive sixteen people while 20 residential houses were completely damaged. Also, we lost our entire livestock,” said Shabir Ahmed, a sole family member who survived.
He said that the then government promised victim families would be provided with all kinds of help including jobs and land where they could build houses. “But after seven years, we are living in a temporary shed on the roadside,” Ahmad said.
He said that they approached government departments on several occasions with their grievances.
“We were promised jobs for NOKs and Rs 5 lakh compensation for those who died in the disaster. But only Rs 2.5 lakh was paid in these years so far,” he added.
According to him, the government should think about their rehabilitation ahead of winter as cold increases their suffering.
They have requested Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and DC Budgam Syed Fakhruddin to look into the issue. (KNO)
