Chennai: City residents feel that politics is what is delaying the compensation assured to them for flood damage.
S. Chandrasekharan, a resident of posh Dhandayuthapani Nagar at Kotturpuram, has already made several trips to government office at Saidapet seeking the compensation, but to no avail.
“I was not here when the floods happened, but the damage to my house was huge. After inspection, I was eligible for a compensation of Rs 5,000. I applied for it on December 28. It has been over a month since then, and I still have not got it,” he said.
“I went to enquire again on Wednesday. I was told that officials had been instructed to extend the last day for receiving applications to January 30, and were now awaiting further orders from the collector,” he said.
It might not be a big sum, but to him it is better than nothing at all, said Chandrasekharan. His car was totally damaged. He is still awaiting the insured sum.
Another resident of Kotturpuram, S Jeyalam, went thrice to the government office to submit documents.
“Every time I went, they took the documents but didn’t assure anything about the money being credited. I have been calling up and making rounds to the office but still there is no change,” he said.
Showing the pile of damaged carpentry instruments he had used, he lamented that had he been aware of the rain being so devastating, he would have been able to save his equipment, if not the house which was badly damaged.
“I decided to not take the relief amount as there were people who needed it more. My mother and my brothers too did the same thing, ” said an architect, a resident of Anna Nagar. “A lot of people have received the amount while there are many others who haven’t received. This is being done right before the election period, it is being done to gain votes.”
