Victims' families still awaiting relief

Published On: September 7, 2017 05:00 AM NPT By: Madan Thakur

RAUTAHAT, September 7: Family members of the four girls who lost their lives after drowning in an open pit dug up for road construction in Rautahat lament that they still have not been provided the relief assured by the government.

The four girls of Garuda Municipality-4 lost their lives on August 5 due to the negligence of the contractors. It has been more than a month but the victims' families are still waiting for relief.

After the incident, the locals and family members of the victims had staged a protest demanding justice. In order to calm the situation, District Police Office, Rautahat handed over the family with Rs 25,000 each for performing their final rites.

At that time, the government had assured to provide Rs 500,000 to each of the victim's family. But the government has not fulfilled its promise.

Ram Ekbal Sah, father of the two girls who died in the pit, laments that they have received nothing more than Rs 25,000. Negligence of the government has not just irked the family members but also the locals.

Ram Ekbal had lost his two daughters Sangita Kumari Sah and Sunita Kumari Sah in the horrifying incident. The family was just trying to get over the unbearable loss when they were struck with another disaster. The devastating flood of August 12 has made their situation worse. Flood water washed away whatever little they had, leaving them in despair.

Ramrati Devi Sah, mother of the two girls, accuses the government of turning a blind eye to their plights. With her eyes full of tears, Ramrati said, "The government has done nothing except adding to our miseries."

Parents of the other two girls have also shown their disappointment to the government by accusing it of being biased to the well-offs.

Last week, during his visit to Rautahat, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, former prime minister and chairperson of CPN (Maoist-Centre) handed over Rs 10, 000 to each of the victim's family. Though a lot of ministers and leaders had pledged to help the victims' families fight for justice, they have not shown their faces since then, laments Ram Ekbal.