'Rehabilate us!': Tamuli villagers protest for flood relief, KMSS leads demonstration
The residents were temporarily settled in Betani in 2000 with the promise that they would be resettled in some other suitable place soon;
A file image of floods in Assam (Photo: IANS)
Doomdooma, Mar 3: The flood and erosion affected people of Tamuli village under the Doomdooma Revenue Circle of Tinsukia district staged a protest in association with the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) in front of the office of the Doomdooma Revenue Circle officer on Monday demanding rehabilitation and compensation to the flood and erosion-affected people of the village.
The protesters also demanded a proper investigation into the corruption in the botanical garden and projects of Purana Tamuli village related to the Moran Autonomous Council's development fund.
The floods in 1996 had completely devastated the No. 1 and No. 2 Tamuli villages under Gakhirbheti Gaon Panchayat of Doomdooma Revenue Circle of Tinsukia district. Both the villages were completely submerged in 2000 also. The residents of Tamuli village were temporarily settled in Betani grazing in 2000 with the promise that they would be resettled in some other suitable place soon. However, the residents of both villages have not been relocated to date.
The residents of these two villages are now facing difficulties in supporting their families due to the increasing number of family members and lack of suitable agricultural land. The land of their former village at Tamuli, which was destroyed by the river, is unsuitable for habitation but some cultivation can be done at certain times. Therefore, the protesters demanded a bridge to facilitate access to their old plots of land. The residents of the two villages also demanded the government rehabilitate the residents of the two villages.
They further demanded that the works of the botanical garden and the project in Purana Tamuli village using the Moran Autonomous Council's development fund be suspended until the land boundaries of Purana Tamuli village are determined. The protesters demanded the permanent resettlement of 24 families whose lands were destroyed by the landslide in the Gariating village of Kordoiguri area.
Participating in the pro-test, the organizing secretary of KMSS, Umananda Mudoi Moran demanded the government to resettle the flood and erosion-affected people of both the Tamuli villages.
Later, the protestors sent a memorandum to the Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Pijush Hazarika through the Circle Officer of Doomdooma Revenue Circle.
- By Correspondent
