Will the survivors of the earthquake suffer the same fate as the victims of the jure iandslide who are still waitin for compensation and relocation ?

YUVARAJ PUR- Centre for Investigative Journalism

 

On 2 August 2014, an entire village was swept away by a landslide in Sindhupalchowk's Jure. The local authorities jumped into action establishing a relief trust for Jure victims which was able to raise 22.4 million rupees in less than three months. The then Chief District Officer Gopal Prasad Parajuli led sub-committee submitted a report on the ground situation which should have expedited the relief and rehabilitation process. But the report continues to gather dust.

The area is represented by six powerful CA members Mohan Bahadur Basnet, Amrit Kumar Bohara, Sher Bahadur Tamang, Agni Sapkota and Ramesh Lama, who have been shooting down each others' proposal on how to get the money to the victim families.

The earthquake on April 25 has further pushed back rehabilitation of the Jure survivors. Two CDO's have come and gone, but the victims are only being served platitude. "The criteria is now in place, we will go ahead with the disbursement process soon," CDO Bal Bahadur Giri told us. Understandably, the locals are now furious with the authorities sitting on the fund meant for them while they continue to live in a pitiable conditions.

Jiwan Shrestha of Mankha, one of the three VDCs that used to make up populated Jure village, was in Pashupatinath last week to observe one year death ritual for his seven family members who were killed in the landslide. Shrestha has been displaced for a year now and appeared stoic about the loss, 'I am homeless now, so I came here to observe these rites." says Shrestha. He seemed to have given up all hopes of piecing his life back together.

 

Panchalal Shrestha was also at the Pashupatinath last week mourning the loss of his twelve family members who were swept away by the landslide. Like Jiwan, he too has given up hope of ever receiving any help from the government.

Despite losing everything, some victims families like that of Durgalal Shrestha were making ends meet. But the April quake once again rendered families homeless. He was forced to leave his rented room in

 

Lamo Sangu and move to Kathmandu after the earthquake damaged it.

He lives with his family under a make-shift tent at someone else's land in Gothatar.

"After the landslide ministers and local leaders promised to help us with relief and rehabilitation, but now everyone has forgotten us," laments Durgalal.

Som Sapkota, who is part of the committee that has determined criteria for distribution admits, 'In principal the CA members' approval isn't required since the district committee on disaster relief is a self functioning body. But the local leaders have interfered with the process to score political brownie out of relief distribution.'

Jure falls under Sindhupalchok's area number one which is a closely contested constituency of leaders from major political parties including Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, UCPN-M and RPP-N, who have their political interest tied to the fund. The officials at the local administration cannot bypass these leaders fearing political backlash.

However the political meddling isn't just limited to the officials; even the affected families have been lobbying for criteria which will benefit them the most. Families who lost their relatives demand that the fund distribution should be based on the number of deceased members, while others say that the criteria should consider the number of survivors. With the victims themselves divided over the criteria, the administration has an excuse for the delay.

Meanwhile, the bank account which holds the relief fund has now been frozen by the Home Ministry after the dispute escalated.

So far, the families of the deceased have received 40,000 rupees per person for the final rites, and additional 100,000 rupees as compensation. But the families who did not lose a family member but who lost their homes and properties haven't received any help. 

Nani Tamang of Ramche VDC, which is one of the VDCs located in Jure, isamong many who lost their land and properties. After the landslide swept her home, she took refuge in her relatives' house but the earthquake destroyed that house too and now she is living in a makeshift tent inside an Armed Police Force base near Jure. 'My husband died few months back, and now I am stuck in this tent without a hope', said tearful Tamang.

According to official figures, 145 people from Mankha, Ramche, Dhuskun and Tekanpur VDCs which collectively make up Jure village, lost their lives in the landslide, 97 houses were swept away and 220 houses were damaged displacing hundreds.

Ram Bahadur Lama of Mankha VDC who lost 13 members of his family last year isn't hopeful about ever receiving any help. Says Lama, 'Forget the government in Kathmandu. We didn't even receive the fund collected for us here at the district.'

 

Link:  http://nepalitimes.com/article/nation/how-politics-blocks-relief,2567