JAIPUR, May 19: Residents of Khetolai village, close to the five underground nuclear tests site in the Pokhran area of Jaisalmer district in Rajasthan, have refused to accept the Rajasthan Government's compensation for the damage caused to their houses by the blasts.Official sources here said today that the compensation ranged from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 per home affected. However, the villagers find the compensation too meagre. The Government has allocated Rs 7.5 lakh for compensation on the basis of District Collector Sudhanshu Pant's evaluation of the damage.
At the forefront of the "We-want-more" campaign is Bona Ram, the Congress's Barmer MP. After touring the affected areas of Khetolai, Chacha and the adjourning villages which fall in his constituency, in a telephonic interview to the The Indian Express he said that the compensation package is woefully inadequate. He is also peeved that he, as the area's MP, has not been invited to accompany Prime Minister Vajpayee when he visits Pokhrantomorrow.
Not surprisingly, Sona Ram sees a BJP conspiracy behind the "poor compensation"as almost 90 per cent of the affected villagers are Congress supporters. "The real extent of the damage to houses in the area can be made only after the rains," he said.
Meanwhile, district commissioner Pant is bending backwards to get eligible people to accept the compensation.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
