KOCHI: A team led by Lakshadweep administrator Farooq Khan and Collector-cum- Development Commissioner Tariq Thomas visited the cyclone-ravaged Minicoy island on Thursday but the people of the island who are still reeling under the impact of the cyclone got further disappointed after their visit. “They offered to give only Rs 10,000 for each fully damaged house as interim relief pending assessment of the damage, which is abysmally low. We are crestfallen and this is adding insult to injury. The Central government ministers should intervene to sanction at least Rs 2 lakh per fully damaged house as interim relief,” said Ibrahim Manikfan, a resident of Minicoy whose house fortunately has not fully collapsed, over phone.
He said that for the poor people of the island, it is a gargantuan task to rebuild their houses from scratch. “The administrators’ team did not announce any relief for those who have lost their crops or whose houses partially damaged. They sanctioned 2 kg rice and 1 kg sugar per head but did not specify the details and did not show any inclination to patiently hear the grievances of the peoples’ representatives. Over 100 people had gathered at the spot to tell the team about the horrible experience but their attitude was even bitter,” said Ibrahim.
Mr Ibrahim said that for the three days since Friday, the people of Minicoy who were the hardest hit by the cyclone in Lakshadweep fended for themselves. “There was no help from the administration nor Navy nor Coast Guard. All of them swung into action only on Monday due to criticisms from various quarters but real relief is yet to come. People of the island are clearing the roads which are blocked by uprooted trees,” he added. Mr Farooq Khan was unavailable for comments.
