BAHRABISE, SINDHUPALCHOWK, May 25: Gita Devi, 80, sits at the entrance of a huge white tent with the logo of Islamic Relief painted over it. She looks bored having to spend time minding this tent because she knows she is not going to use it. But she has no option.
Monitoring team could arrive there anytime and might take her tent back upon finding that it is not being used. She is the sole owner of the tent house. "It came in my name; I must stay here so as not to lose it. This is what my grandsons have said," says the octogenarian, struggling for vision and voice.
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White tents have painted the landscape of this small village called Sanipalanti that stands atop Bahrabise town, which was ravaged by earthquake. Tents have been put up beside every temporary shelter made of old woods, tins and the materials recovered from the debris. The tent houses are beautiful and comfortable. There are two entrances, one from the front the other from the back.
There is a porch like space at each entrance. Inside, there are three partitions. It has window-like opening covered with netted clothing, which prevents mosquitoes from flying in and also lets in air when curtain-like covering is lifted. Used well, it can comfortably accommodate as many as 15 persons. "It's much more comfortable than a house. I feel like sleeping here all the time," says a student who is spreading books and notebooks over the mat inside the tent is preparing for his upcoming grade XII exams. "If such tents were available in the first week of the earthquake, people would feel like in heaven," says the youth.
However, greed, duplicity and desire to hoard relief materials have started to become a norm among some "victims" in this small village, lying east to Bahrabise town. Tents distributed by international humanitarian organization called Islamic Relief through Batas Foundation (an NGO) have indeed proved to be a relief for the genuine victims. But not to all.
The locals misappropriated data to get more of whatever is coming from various organizations. Most joint families have registered more than one names--some as many as three--to show separate households, while they all come from the same household. There are 109 households in ward number seven of Bahrabise, but they have misappropriated it to 135. Locals have been claiming relief package in the name of the dead, the families that don't stay in village and sometimes even those that don't exist. The number of households is inflating because for the locals, more households means more rice, lentils and sugar and tents. "People have become greedy, they have forgotten pains and sufferings of the disaster," says Laxman Paudyal.
Local authority had formed a committee to prevent misuse but it did not work. Village Development Committee office had formed an ad hoc Relief Distribution and Data Collection Committee with representation from all wards. Subcommittees were formed at ward level and its members assigned to help collect real data of the victims. "But sub-committee members appropriated data as they liked. They have inflated the number of their own households to claim more relief materials," fumes Govinda Poudel. Those who have not given to duplication are regretting. "There is only one name registered from my family. So I got one piece of tent while my neighbor got three," rues Sharmila Khatri.
Relief materials have reached in Palanti village because it is well connected with road network. But risks of hoarding and misusing relief materials loom large. This tendency has not spared ward number one as well. The village with about 135 households has increased households to 183. This includes those who do not stay in village. "I have found some families collecting rice and lentils in the name of those who no longer stay here. This is immoral but nothing stops them from doing so," says Keshar Bahadur Basnet, who is a teacher in Bahrabise.
Rice, lentils, oil and salt provided by various organizations have brought smiles to the poor whose houses were flattened by earthquake and who lost everything to this disaster. But even those who could recover tons of food grains from under the rubbles are claiming relief materials just for the sake of hoarding.
Gita Devi will have to guard her tent at least for few days lest monitoring team finds out that it is not being used. Will she use it as her home? What will she do with this huge tent? "I don't know," says the old woman who looks visibly amazed to see this new thing she had "never seen before."
