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 SPECIAL
REPORT
PIL jolts officials to act
Relief in Murshidabad starvation belt
By Nadim Ahmad
Published
in the print edition of The Milli Gazette (1-15 June 2005)
Jalangi: On May
10 the PIL filed by MG editor Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan was heard by
the Supreme Court which referred it to the West Bengal Human Rights
Commission. The very next day West Bengal Govt. swung into action. A
meeting was hurriedly held in the district magistrate’s office where the
decision to disburse funds long blocked was taken. "Block Calamity
Relief Committee" at Jalangi distributed monetary aid to 461 Padma
erosion-affected families of the Jalangi block. This aid was given to the
erosion-affected people after a gap of three years. Along with this,
compensation to 762 families was also distributed for the damage caused to
their dwellings by the torrential rains last year.
 All together
1223 families were given financial assistance on the 11, 12 and 13 of May
by the administration. According to Sharifa Begum, member of the Block
Relief Committee, the decision to distribute the said assistance was taken
in the "Am Sabha" (general meeting), which was held on 5 May.
The BDO of Jalangi block, Kanchan Chaudhury, informed me that the said
Calamity Assessment Report was sent to the West Bengal Relief Committee in
"Nov.-Dec." last year and the allotment was made in
"Feb.-March". He expressed his inability to remember the exact
dates. He further added that in the years 2002, 2003 and 2004 no allotment
was made by the West Bengal Govt., although the block level committee had
prepared the yearly calamity assessment report which, according to the BDO,
is mandatory. When asked about the members who constitute the calamity
assessment committee, he said that it comprised of one representative each
of the Sabha Pati, the BDO and the concerned panchayat pradhan. Somen Nath,
the block relief officer (BRO) informed me that the block level relief
committee sends a report to the superior committees only when it is asked.
They cannot send it on their own, he said.
The Erosion
affected families were given Rs 2000 each, and the rain-affected families
were given Rs.2000 for fully damaged houses and Rs 1000 each for partly
damaged houses.
 Another one-time
relief to the erosion-affected was provided late in April in the form of
1000 food packets each containing: 5 kg. rice, 2 kg flour, 1 kg chura, 1
kg sugar, and some pulses, 200 ml mustard oil, 0.5 kg biscuits packet, one
packet lectral powder as well as cash payment of Rs. 20 each family by a
Hyderabad-based Muslim relief organization, Sahayta Trust. The relief work
was supervised by Abghatullah, Abul Qasim and Dr. Minhaj from Hyderabad
with the local help of Abdulaziz and Khodabakhsh of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind
West Bengal branch. Our own organization, Charity Alliance, helped on the
field since we have two full-time relief workers in the area.
Charity
Alliance, in cooperation with The Milli Gazette, is now distributing
weekly packets of rice to 113 persons in five villages (Biswaspara 4,
Paraspur 40, Taltoli 28, Dayarampur 38 and Farzipara 3 persons). It has
also provided medical assistance of urgent nature to 12 persons in 8
villages, cash financial assistance for various reasons to 5 persons.
Charity Alliance has also paid admission and tuition fees for 66 destitute
students of five schools in and around Jalangi. The number of such
students is expected to cross 100 soon. Charity Alliance now has two
full-time relief workers in Jalangi area (Golam Kibriya and Saiful Islam,
both are graduates). Full details of this assistance with names of
beneficiaries will soon be posted on Charity Alliance website.
Nadim Ahmad has gone back to Jalangi to
review the relief operations and needs. The above is his first report
after his return to Jalangi on 17 May.
Source: 1-15 June 2005, The Milli Gazette (Print Edition) «
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