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Promise comes 21 days after the blaze

Sib Kumar Das

— Photo: Lingaraj Panda

RELIEF AT LAST: People of New Golabanha village in Ganjam district living in makeshift huts made of tarpaulin on the beach.

NUA GOLABANDHA (Ganjam District): After spending 21 days in makeshift huts on the beach around 1500 inhabitants of the village who had lost their houses in a fire on March 23 got promises of proper rehabilitation.

The administration was in a fix to provide official help for rehabilitation to these fire devastated villagers as the land on which the village was facing displacement as its land was already earmarked to be handed over to the army Air Defence College (ADC), Golabandha.

Pattas

But during his visit to the village on Thursday, State Revenue Minister, Manmohan Samal promised to make arrangements so that the villagers can get pattas for their land at the village. With pattas the villagers would be able to get Government help for reconstruction for their houses, said the sarpanch of the area, K.Rameya. State Cooperative Minister Surama Padhi and revenue officials accompanied Mr Samal.

S.Sridhar, the president of the Nua Golabandha village committee said the Revenue Minister had promised to take all steps to rehabilitate the village at the same location where it is now. Mr Samal also promised to have low cost houses built under financial assistance from fisheries department for the families who have lost their houses in the fire as early as possible. Around 350 houses of the village were either totally or partly destroyed by the fire.

But the people who have lost their lives are living a pathetic life in makeshift huts made of tarpaulin sheets provided by administration and coconut leaves on the sea beach near the village. The rain that lashed the area on Tuesday evening have increased their fears.

Chintamma, a woman living in one of these huts, pleaded that the Government make arrangements to construct houses for them before the rainy season at least for the security of small children who are now leading pity life in these huts. These families cannot leave the area, as they are fishermen who have to live near the sea.

Most of them have also lost their precious nets in the fire.

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