Vijayawada flood victims to stage dharna on October 23 demanding compensation

Hundreds of families are still waiting for assistance from the State government even though 50 days have passed since the floods ravaged their localities, says CPI(M) leader

CPI(M) has called for a protest in front of the MRO office at Ajithsingh Nagar on October 23 to highlight the plight of flood victims. The party State secretariat member Ch. Babu Rao and others visited flood-affected areas such as Ajitsingh Nagar in the city on Monday.

Mr. Babu Rao said that hundreds of families were still waiting for assistance from the State government even though 50 days have passed since the floods inundated a few localities in the city. The flood victims, in anguish, were complaining that they had not yet received any help despite running around various government offices.

Many have not received even a single rupee in assistance. Some received only ₹10,000 in compensation instead of the promised ₹25,000, and the reason cited to them was that they lived on the first floor even though they were on the ground floor. Some families received ₹3,000 for vehicle damages, but no assistance was provided for the damages to their houses. Street vendors and small business owners have not received any compensation, with the government imposing conditions such as the need for a trade license to receive aid, he said.

Mr. Babu Rao said that some auto-rickshaws were unused for 50 days because their owners could not afford repairs. The auto-rickshaw owners were helpless and surrendered their vehicles to financiers. Despite taking loans to purchase cars and running them for hire, no relief package has been announced for those whose cars were damaged in the flood.

Though their names were on the list, no funds have been deposited in the victims’ bank accounts. The victims have been running around the secretariats, the offices of the MRO, the Collector, and even MLAs for several days but have not received any response, he said, adding that the victims would stage a protest near the MRO office. 

Published - October 21, 2024 09:05 pm IST