"It's been two years since we have been living here. After our home was destroyed by the earthquake, we shifted to a hut. But we did not get even the relief money (Rs 15,000) for temporary shelter or later the Rs 10,000 for warm clothing. The government has provided our neighbors the Rs 10,000 aid while we remain mute spectators," he added.
The other earthquake victims have been getting some relief, but those who were squatters, and continue to be so, have been left out even though they too were no less affected by the earthquake, Gurung argued.
Gurung's family has been living under tarpaulins since the April 25 quake. The quake not only destroyed his house but also badly damaged the land, making him unable to erect a new hut. So, Gurung had no option but to pay Rs 200 monthly for the space his shack occupies.
Similar is the situation of 12 other local squatter families. Despite being badly hit by the earthquake, they have received neither relief nor the red card meant for quake victims.
"They are helping only those who have land/house ownership certificates. Where should people like us go?" asked Gurung. "Even though we have contacted the VDC several times, nothing has been done for us," he added.
Meanwhile, some non-squatters have also failed to receive the red cards, which could entitle them to relief under several heads, complained Chitra Bahadur Thapa of Bungkot -2.
"I visited the CDO office, but they refused to provide me a red card," he said adding that the earthquake rendered him homeless like many others in the district. He said assistant CDO Dipendra Poudel was not in favor of giving him the card or any relief.
While duplication of relief for victims is not uncommon, some real victims are not getting any relief at all. According to locals, those who have political connections get the benefits easily but others are left out.
"The CDO office has even provided four cards to a single family. That's all due to political connections," said Thapa. He alleged that the local administration has been providing the red cards arbitrarily.
Babulal Thapa of Nareshwar in Gorkha Municipality complained that his elderly parents have also been deprived of the red cards. "I had approached the administration to have the cards made out for them. But I could not succeed," he said. "In the case of political cadres, a single family has acquired several red cards," he added.
People wanting to get the red cards can be seen queuing at the VDC and District Administration Office premises every day. Good rapport with the VDC secretary or the CDO is considered vital for getting any work done. The red card is important for claiming government relief -- Rs 15,000 for makeshift shelters and Rs 10,000 for winter clothing -- which was announced recently. The need to produce the red card has further affected the real victims while fake victims who have better connections have fared better. "Even if they know you are a real victim, they have no intention of providing you the red card and make excuses for not doing so," said Thapa.
According to the DAO, around 200 people have applied for the cards in the last few weeks. As per the data of the District Natural Disaster Rescue Committee, around 54,000 houses were destroyed due to the earthquake. However, the number of those receiving the red cards is already over 65,000. There are 60 VDCs and two municipalities in the district.
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