RAUTAHAT, April 14: Government and various social organizations distributed relief packages to the victims of Saturday´s fire in Rautahat and Parsa districts on Sunday. A total of 295 homes were gutted in the fire in the two districts.
Authorities have estimated the loss caused in the two districts at over Rs 120 million. [break]
A total of 211 homes were gutted in Dhore and Mirjapur VDCs in Parsa and another 84 homes were gutted in Basbitti Jingadiya and Rajhunathpur VDCs of Rautahat.
In Rautahat, a team comprsing senior CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, Superintendent of Police Govinda Ram Pariyar, local leaders from Nepali Congress and UCPN (Maoist), and representatives of Nepal Red Cross Society, District Administration Office, Construction Entrepreneurs Association and several social organizations provided food, cash, tents, clothes and cooking utensils on Sunday.
The massive fire, which started from the house of one Isha Ahmad of Bashitti Jingadiya VDC-6, had spread toward Raghunathpur VDC in no time and gutted 84 homes. The District Police Offce, Rautahat, estimated the loss caused in the district at Rs 80 million.
Acting Chief District Officer Basanta Neupane informed that the DAO provided Rs 2,000 each to 84 affected families. "We don´t have sufficient relief materials to distribute as CDO Jiwan Oli is currently working at the Home Ministry and no decision could be taken in his absence" said Neupane.
Likewise, villagers from nearby Birta VDC also collected three quintals of rice, 10 quintals of paddy and cooking utensils for distribution among the fire victims.
Some fire victims bemoaned that they are in strained circumstances as they have nothing left of their property.
Shek Jernal, inhabitant of Basbitti Jingadiya-8 does not know how to marry off his daughter after all the clothes, jewelry, and cash arranged for the wedding was destroyed.
"Victims like Jernal are in urgent need of support and the government should take initiatives," said Shek Zichurulla, vice-president a social welfare organization.
Similarly, Saturday´s fire in Parsa had killed a total of 45 cattle in the two VDCs. The fire had destroyed property worth Rs 45 million, according to police in the district.
As immediate relief packages, Parsa District Administration Office (DAO) distributed food items, clothes, mosquito nets, cooking utensils and tents to the fire victims.
Police informed the all the victims have been taking shelter in Nera Primary School at Dhore.
However, DAO informed that there is only Rs 200,000 in the District Natural Disaster Control Fund and they need another Rs 1 million from the Home Ministry in order to provide the victims with relief packages.
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