Relief extended by Punjab wasn’t meant for any individuals: Leh DC
Jupinderjit Singh/TNS
Leh, August 4
The controversy over the alleged “non-fulfilment” of promises made to two Sikh families and to a Leh girl by Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal refuses to die down. Now, the Leh Deputy Commissioner has said that the Rs 1-crore relief given by the Punjab Government was not meant for fulfilling those two promises. The DC appreciated Punjab Government’s gesture of providing Rs 1 crore and 500 trucks of fodder, but distanced himself from having any knowledge about the promises, “if any”, made to any individuals.
After having a telephonic talk with a senior official of the Punjab Government, the DC said Sukhbir offered more help, but they (the Leh administration) felt embarrassed to ask for anything more.
However, he insisted that the Rs 1 crore was not meant for any promise Sukhbir made to any individuals. “I don’t know about any promise made. I also read about them in newspapers only,” he added.
link - http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110805/j&k.htm#3
PREVIOUS STORY
LEH REVISITED
In Leh, Sukhbir has many more promises to keep
Skalzang Angmo outside her new house in Choglamsar.
Jupinderjit Singh /TNS
Skalzang Angmo outside her new house in Choglamsar.
Leh, July 20
At the time of a tragedy, politicians, cutting across party lines, often promise the moon to the victims. But not all promises are kept.
Twelve-year-old Skalzang Angmo is a living example. Her case, highlighted by The Tribune last year, had moved many to come forward to help.
The wounds of losing her elder sister and their house and in last year’s cloudburst on the night of August 5-6 continue to hurt, but equally painful are some of the promises, made to her by politicians, that have not been kept.
Union Education Minister Kapil Sibal had promised free education to Angmo. This promise was kept as she is studying free of cost at Jawahar Navodya Vidyalaya in Chandigarh.
However, the promise to reimburse her one-time free air travel to Chandigarh from Leh for taking admission was not kept. The girl and her mother Stanzin Dolma claim that no money was paid.
“We are grateful for the free education and we hope that the promise of free higher education would be kept. But her transportation from Chandigarh costs us Rs 50,000 annually. No one has footed the bill yet. Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal had specifically promised it,” said Stanzin Dolma.
Two Sikh families of Leh find themselves in a similar state. They too were promised much, but have not got a single penny out of the Rs 5 lakh each compensation promised by Sukhbir.
“We have not received a single penny,” lamented Harbans Singh, owner of a book shop in the Polo Ground market.
“I lost a house and a book store. Many books there cost over Rs 10,000. No one compensated me for the books. Then Sukhbir Badal came and promised Rs 5 lakh to both the families.
“Our photos meeting him appeared in all newspapers and TV channels. But we are yet to receive the money,” he said showing the damaged books and the news clippings of Sukhbir meeting them.
His brother Balwinder Singh owned a hardware store. He has also not received any aid. A Jammu-based RTI activist Balvinder Singh had raised their issue many times, but to no avail. He claims that he had sent a representation to Sukhbir Badal, but there was no reply.
Sukhbir Badal had promised Rs 1 crore relief for cloudburst victims which he gave to the Leh administration, but his individual promises, for which he got maximum mileage in the media, are yet to be kept.
To be fair to junior Badal, the Leh administration hails his contribution. Deputy Commissioner T Angchok said the contribution of the Punjab Government, especially Sukhbir Badal, who brought several trucks of essential commodities, cannot be forgotten.
“He led a delegation of MPs and MLAs and brought a lot of aid for which Leh would always be grateful. However, we have no details of the relief given in individual cases. As far as I can remember, the girl, Angmo, was promised help if she required it. No one from her family has approached us.”
Sukhbir Badal was not available for comments.
link : http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110805/j&k.htm#3
PUNJAB GOVERNMENT'S REJOINDER
Money for Leh girl with the DC, says Punjab
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, July 21
A spokesman of the Punjab Deputy Chief Minister, Sukhbir Badal, today clarified that the Leh district administration is to be blamed if relief promised by the Deputy CM did not reach some of the victims of the cloudburst last year. He was responding to the report on the front page of The Tribune today under the headline, “ In Leh, Sukhbir has many more promises to keep”.
The spokesman , in a written rejoinder, claimed that the Deputy Commissioner, Leh had called up the Principal Secretary to the CM to say that expenses to be incurred on the education of Skalzang Angmo d/o Stanzin Dolma would be borne from the Rupees one crore cash relief received from the Government of Punjab.
Pointing out that Punjab had mobilised and sent as many as 515 trucks of fodder/dry fodder and 40 trucks of animal feed to Leh, the spokesman asserted that the Deputy Chief Minister had fulfilled much more than what he had promised to the cloudburst victims of Leh.
Sukhbir Badal had himself visited Leh with 14 trucks containing dry ration and blankets. He had also announced that Punjab would bear the full expenditure of educating Skalzang Angmo studying at Chandigarh Navodaya Vidyalaya and adopt Solar village. The Leh DC had undertaken to meet the cost of the last two promises from the cash relief sent by the Punjab government, the spokesman claimed.
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