Nageshwari flood victims deprived of relief rice

 
NAGESHWARI, KURIGRAM, Aug 4:  Flood victims in Kurigram's Nageshwari Upazila were allegedly deprived of government relief because of administrative negligence, with relief rice reportedly withdrawn in the names of two unions that were not affected by flooding and kept in storage instead of distribution.
According to the upazila relief office, two rounds of flooding in June and July inundated 20 wards in five unions, affecting 2,640 people. More than 100 families also lost their houses and belongings to river erosion.
On June 29, the district administration allocated 30 tonnes of General Relief (GR) rice and 100 packets of dry food for flood victims. The supplies were withdrawn the following day and were supposed to be distributed within three working days.
However, only 30 packets of dry food were distributed, while the remaining 70 packets have yet to reach beneficiaries, according to local sources.
The entire 30 tonnes of GR rice were reportedly withdrawn in the names of the chairman of Ramkhana Union Parishad and the administrator of Santoshpur Union, although neither union was affected by flooding.
Chairmen of several flood-hit unions blamed the upazila administration for failing to distribute the relief.
Ariful Islam Dip Mondal, Chairman of Rayganj Union Parishad, said residents of two wards, including Fander Char, were stranded by floodwaters but received no assistance despite repeated requests.
Nunkhawa Union Parishad Chairman Aminul Islam said more than half of his union had been inundated, but no relief was provided, although the district administration had allocated aid for flood victims.
Kedar Union Parishad Chairman AKM Wajidul Kabir Rashed said flood victims in his union were supposed to receive 10kg of rice each but received none. He added that he had heard the rice had instead been withdrawn in the names of two other union authorities.
The chairmen also alleged that administrative delays resulted in more than 205,510 kg of rice allocated under the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) programme for 41,102 beneficiaries being returned in June because clearance was not signed on time.
Ramkhana Union Parishad Chairman Jalal Uddin confirmed that his union had not been affected by flooding. He said 15 tonnes of rice had been withdrawn in his name and another 15 tonnes in the name of Santoshpur Union's administrator on the instructions of the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), and stored in a warehouse. He said the rice would be returned whenever requested.
Rejecting the allegations, UNO Khodadad Hossain said the floodwater had receded before relief distribution could begin.
"The rice was supposed to be returned, but instead it was stored in the warehouse. If flooding occurs again, it will be distributed," he said.
Responding to the allegations over the TCB rice, he said the collection period expired while he was away on official duty, although beneficiaries received the programme's other commodities.