The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The people of the cyclone Sidr ravaged areas yesterday alleged in the city that the relief houses provided by the Saudi government were not properly distributed to the victims and they also demanded to punish the relief grabbers.

Shakawat Hossain, representative of Sidr-affected people of the Bhandaria in Priojpur district told journalists at the Dhaka Reporters Unity yesterday that the Chairman and the Ward Commissioners of the areas take money on different pleas amounting to Tk 3,000 to Tk 20,000 to provide Sidr victims relief house of the affected vulnerable families.

He claimed that Saudi Arab in has already constructed 1,000 houses. But the Chairman of Ekri and Talikhali Unions and seven ward commissioners of these areas were taking bribe on the very nose of the law enforcing agencies. But they are not providing the houses to Sidr affected people.

Cyclone Sidr ravaged the country's south and southwestern region in November last year and left more than 4,000 people dead and millions homeless, he added.

Sidr-affected people in eight districts in the country will have their homes built under the project funded by UNDP, IDB and many NGOs of home and abroad. They constructed at least 15,000 houses for most needy and vulnerable families but most of the victims were not getting relief houses due to corruption of the Chairmen and the ward commissioners, he claimed.

Cyclone Sidr ravaged people prayed to the concerned authority for fair investigation in to the matter and to provide the relief houses to the real victims.