Fire victims decline state aid

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, Darjeeling, March 13: Ten families who lost their houses and shops in the March 8 fire in Darjeeling did not turn up at Chalsa to receive compensation from Mamata Banerjee today.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee was supposed to give Rs 50,000 as compensation to each of the 10 families at a government programme at Chalsa in the Dooars, 30km from Jalpaiguri town.

“The cheques were ready and the administration had conveyed the government’s decision to the victims yesterday. Initially, they agreed to take the compensation. Vehicles had been arranged to ferry the victims but yesterday evening the administration was told that the victims would not accept the compensation,” said a well-informed source.

“Nothing can be done if victims refuse to accept compensation.”

Today, the 10 families refused to speak on the issue but according to sources, they decided not to accept the compensation after word reached them that the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leadership was unhappy with the chief minister’s effort to politicise the tragedy.

“The victims probably thought that it would be best to be with the Morcha even if that means forgoing Rs 50,000,” said a source.

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The Morcha has denied any hand in the victims’ change of stance overnight.

The relationship between Morcha and Mamata has gone downhill over the state’s perceived interference in the GTA’s affairs.

On March 8, three buildings on HD Lama Road in Darjeeling town were razed in a blaze earlier this month affecting 10 families.

Apart from two affected families, the rest of the residents in the three buildings do not have proper documents. “Their papers are in the name of some who have left Darjeeling and are now settled in Uttar Pradesh. The municipality has no problem allowing those with documents to re-construct the buildings. But the rest are hoping that the civic body will settle the issue after negotiating with the original land owners,” said a source. “Given this uncertainty, the victims probably do not want to antagonise the Morcha whose writ runs in the hills.”

On March 9, Morcha president Bimal Gurung paid a compensation of Rs 50,000 to each of the affected families from the party fund.

Binay Tamang, the assistant general secretary of the Morcha, rubbished suggestions that the victims refused to accept compensation from the state government to keep the hill party in good humour.

“We do not think on such lines. The party has no role to play. The victims might have taken their own decision regarding which, I have no information,” he said.