Amit Kumar Mazumder
Port Blair, Jan 19: The Human Rights Organisation today alleged that several tsunami victims have been provided with substandard and unfinished tsunami shelters by Rock Church Ministry at Pema Pahad, Calicut, which has ultimately compounded problems of the tsunami victims instead of giving them solace.
In a press conference, organised at HRO office, Mr. C.Saravanan, General Secretary of Human Rights Organzation today said that a NGO, Rock Church Ministries, constructed houses in favour of Tsunami victims of these Islands in the village of Pema Pahad, Calicut after 2004 Tsunami. In the area of 5 acres of land the Rock Church Ministries had constructed 54 numbers of tsunami shelters and the same was issued to 34 tsunami victims without water and Electric connection.
“Recently a delegation of Human Rights Organization visited the spot and observed that the most of the shelters have been kept locked. Upon enquiry it was informed that the representative of Rock Church Ministries in Port Blair had allotted these shelters to the Tsunami Victims without making essential amenities of water and Light. So most of the people vacated these houses. Moreover, these shelters are constructed with substandard materials and because of non-utilization, these house are in pitiable condition at present it requires full maintenance,” Mr. Saravanan added.
The General Secretary of HRO added that the Rock Church Ministries rules say that “If you are residing properly as per the Rock Church Ministries rules and regulations for a minimum period of two years, Ministries will arrange to register and transfer the house in occupant’s favour.”
“From the above mentioned clause it is clearly understood that a person residing more than a period of two years, the house has to be registered and transferred in favour of occupier .But after lapse of three years no action was taken for the transfer of house and even today the poor tsunami families survive without light and water in the tsunami shelters,” Mr. Saravanan added.
During the Press conference the Human Rights Organisation and the tsunami victims requested the Administration to intervene into the matter and urged the Administration to ensure supply of electricity and water to these tsunami victims. Mr. R Karunanithi, President of Human Rights Organisation was also present in the Press Confernece.
