2002 riot compensation: Missing information delays disbursal

Later this year,when an announcement was made that victims in her category would be paid another Rs 50,000,she approached the Collectorate both at Danilimda Chavdi and the main office.

Although the officials acknowledged her status as victim,they told her that her name did not figure in the second list even as she believed there might be some snag in transit due to changed address and the cheque did not reach her. A reality check in the City Mamlatdar office,that handles disbursals,revealed that there was no name as “Shabnambanu” in the list.

Clerks at the Mamlatdar office said this was not the only case and that over a hundred people visited them with the same complaint. Other complaints include corrections and replacing original victim by heirs due to death of the original victim among others. On an average,the collector’s office received around 150 applications,keeping the staff,crowded by fuming applicants,busy most part of the day. City Mamlatdar Mamta Sojitra,however,said,“There might be a delay in the payment,but all of them will get the compensation ordered.”

Asked how would the payment be made when several names were missing from their records,she said the staff was manually checking the original records to verify and compare the claims. “I have no idea how many such cases are pending,as the processing has been going on with addition of fresh applications daily,” she added.