Unhappy over Orissa government's rehabilitation package for victims of Kandhamal riot of 2008, Christian leaders today demanded waiver of loans taken by people affected by the violence and its aftermath.
Unhappy over Orissa government's rehabilitation package for victims of Kandhamal riot of 2008, Christian leaders today demanded waiver of loans taken by people affected by the violence and its aftermath.
The demands of the riot victims were put forth before chief minister Naveen Patnaik here by Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Archbishop Raphael Cheenath and Orissa Minority Forum president Swarupananda Patra here.
"The victims should be given compensation according to the loss incurred in the violence," Cheenath told reporters adding an independent committee needs to be set up to estimate and determine the compensation package.
Stating that it is important to consult the victims to know how much property they have lost and how many of them lost their lives, he claimed the victims of Kandhamal riot were never consulted.
Therefore the compensation given to them is arbitrary and grossly inadequate," he alleged adding that the compensation should also include household items.
The state government, had disbursed Rs50,000 for fully damaged houses and Rs20,000 for partially damaged ones. But no provision of compensating for household articles lost in the violence was kept.
As many as 4818 houses were damaged in the riots, Kandhamal's special administrator MS Padhi said adding that
besides the state government's amends of Rs50,000, victims
also got Rs20,000 from central fund for fully destroyed and Rs10,000 for partially damaged one, Padhi said.
The state government is considering the demands for the loan waiver, Padhi said.
During communal violence and its aftermath, people took loans as they did not have any employment, Cheenath told the chief minister in the memorandum.
The community also demanded shifting of riot-related cases to either here or Cuttack in order to provide better security to the witnesses.
At least 180 people including the sitting BJP MLA Manoj Pradhan, have so far been convicted in different riot related cases, officials said.
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