By IANS
Jaipur : People who lost their houses in the flash floods that hit Rajasthan's Barmer district last year say that they are still waiting to be rehabilitated.
Over 800,000 people out of Barmer district's total population of 2 million were affected by devastating flash floods in the third week of August last year.
At least 104 persons were killed in the floods and there was large-scale damage to houses and property. The Kawas region of the district was the worst affected.
Locals allege that promises of massive rehabilitation work by chief minister Vasundhara Raje's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government have fallen flat.
"Over 300 days have passed since the floods affected the region. But look at the slow progress. Many families are to be provided with houses and the worst part is that the monsoon has hit Rajasthan again," B.D. Kalla, president of the Rajasthan wing of the Congress party, told IANS.
A government official told IANS on condition of anonymity that 453 families have been given possession of new houses while construction work on 500 houses is yet to be completed.
However, Rajasthan's Rehabilitation Minister K.L. Meena denied that the construction of houses has been delayed. "The rehabilitation work is going on a fast pace and we have so far spent over Rs.700 million on the rehabilitation work in Kawas", he said.
As per the state government's norms, the houses are given free for people living below the poverty line and for people falling under the scheduled tribe and scheduled caste categories. The cost of the houses ranges between Rs.125,000 and Rs.150,000.
The government is asking other people to pay 25 percent of the cost of the house in order to get possession. "If I had money, then I would have constructed a house for myself," said Saduram, a local resident.
Indo-Asian