DC’s Booni visit brings no relief for quake-hit people

The deputy commissioner earlier in the day held a public kutchery at the AC office where former MPA Ghulam Muhammad, PTI leader and councilor Rehmat Ghazi, APML local leader Fazlur Rehman and others were present. Information secretary of the Tehreek, Muhammad Pervez Lal, told ChitralToday that on the direction of the district administration a large number of people had submitted applications seeking compensation for their damaged houses. He said the earthquake-affected people from far-off villages came to Booni and Mastuj and filed their applications along with an affidavit on Rs200 stamp papers stating that their houses had been damaged. Later, a verification of the damages claimed by the people was also carried out. However, after paying monetary compensation to only 3,600 people, the process was stopped. On the other hand, 16,000 people in lower Chitral got compensation. He said the assistant commissioner of Booni, Hamidullah Khattak, did not forward the applications of the people and was responsible for depriving the quake-hit people of their right to get the monetary assistance as announced by the prime minister. Mr Pervez said after a protest demonstration at Charun by the affected people, the DC called a delegation of the Tehreek and held a meeting with them at his office. The delegation put up two demands – to pay compensation to the affected people and transfer the AC Mastuj. He said the DC at that meeting had told the delegation that he would visit Booni within 10 days and discuss the demands in front of the AC. As promised, he added, the DC reached Booni on Friday morning and first held an open kutchery at the AC office while the Tehreek leaders kept waiting for him in the tehsil nazim office as the DC had asked them to meet him there. “The DC at last came to meet us along with the assistant commissioner. He had brought a group of armed border police personnel along who stood guard in the room when the meeting started.” He said the DC flatly told the representatives of the Tehreek that the district administration had no funds and was not in a position to pay compensation to more people. “When one of our colleagues, Rehmat Salam, asked the DC why the district administration told the quake-hit people to file applications for the payment of compensation if there were no funds, the AC directed the border policemen to kick him out.” He said when the armed border policemen approached Rehmat Salam, his colleagues came to his rescue and in the meantime both the DC and the AC left the meeting. The Tehreek leader said they were now left with no other option but to launch a protest movement for the rights of the quake-affected people of upper Chitral from March 10. DC Osama Ahmad Waraich did not reply to a message sent to him by ChitralToday for his comments on the matter.