A number of eligible families who suffered losses in the recent floods at Karanthur and nearby areas in Kunnamangalam panchayat have been left out of the Revenue Department’s beneficiary list.
Of the 420 families who suffered losses, only 171 were selected for assistance, and those left out complained that a “lackadaisical” field study and loss estimation had led to the scenario.
“The flooded Poonoor river damaged several houses at Puthoorkadavu, Edakkunni, Thaikkandikadavu and Karippal areas. Excluding a majority of those who suffered losses is an injustice,” said Siddique Thekkayil, convener of a local relief committee constituted under the patronage of the local panchayat. He added that there were 285 beneficiaries in the preliminary list, but 114 of them were excluded later for unknown reasons.
It was for the first time that an inundated Poonoor river had caused heavy damage. Usually, the rise in water level during the monsoon season is not so grievous for local residents. They said it would take months to restore damaged houses.
According to members of the panchayat relief committee, big holes have developed on the walls of several houses in the area. There are also instances where large cracks have been detected on concrete slabs. They also claimed that those who had not found place in the list were the most needy with no regular source of income or savings to manage the crisis.
Faizal, a resident of the affected area, said the list of 171 people had numerous errors and included names of persons who were actually capable of managing the crisis on their own. “We do not want to criticise anyone. What we seek is equal consideration for all victims,” he added.
In the wake of complaints piling up, the relief committee has decided to take up the issue with Revenue officials for proper action. They will meet senior officials of the department on Monday to review the existing field report and consider more eligible persons for government assistance.