Muzaffarnagar:
Top Uttar Pradesh bureaucrats are visiting relief camps in Muzaffarnagar this morning to try and convince people to go back home so that the camps, set up to shelter those made homeless by the communal riots in September, can now be dismantled. Officials made similar visits in the neighbouring Shamli district yesterday. They have allegedly asked organisers to wind up the camps within the next three or four days.
The ten latest developments in the story:
Six trucks arrived this morning at the Loi camp in Muzaffarnagar, about 500 km from Lucknow, to help people shift out. But the 80-odd families still at the camp say they have nowhere to go. They are still afraid to go back to their villages, many say they have no homes left after the violence of three months ago.
The District Magistrate of Muzaffarnagar Kaushal Raj said at Loi this morning, "This was not a safe place. The media reported so many deaths and tough conditions here. So now we are persuading people to leave." (Deaths in camps, carnival at Akhilesh's village)
Mr Raj said the refugees could shift to places where they have bought land or know people or even had the option of moving to a college.
He denied reports that families, including little children, were being forced to spend bitterly cold nights at a bus stand and also denied that the administration was using force to evict people. "If you go there they are in good houses. They are not residing at a bus stand," he insisted. (Read)
But three km from the Loi relief camp, about 50 families have set up camp at the Neem Kheri bus stand. They are families that shifted from Loi only to set up makeshift camp here.
The Samajwadi Party government in the state has faced massive criticism, including a rap from the Supreme Court, for denying basic facilities at the camps and neglecting the rehabilitation of the victims. (Akhilesh upset with NDTV over Muzaffarnagar coverage)
Those at Loi say its too cold to just move out with children and the elderly; rain last night made the situation worse. But they may have little choice, as the village pradhan who had organised the camp too has asked them to leave.
The Muzaffarnagar DM said "those eligible" will get cheques as compensation within four days. Even pregnant women are being moved, he admitted, adding that they are being tracked do that they can be provided medical assistance.
Senior state officials also met organisers of the relief camps in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts and reportedly threatened them of legal action if camps are not evacuated. A few camps in the two districts are managed by NGOs and local groups.
Communal riots tore through Muzaffarnagar in September, leaving over 60 people dead and close to 40,000 homeless. The state government has itself admitted the death of at least 34 children in the relief camps since September.
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