Muzaffarnagar: relief camp not safe, persuading victims to leave, says top official

Muzaffarnagar: Two senior Uttar Pradesh officials reached a relief camp in Muzaffarnagar today where over 50 families were allegedly evacuated by the state government yesterday.

The state's Principal Secretary (Health), Praveen Kumar, and Muzaffarnagar's District Magistrate, Kaushal Raj, reached Loi relief camp this morning. "This was not a safe place. Media was only reporting so many deaths and tough conditions here. So we are persuading people to leave," Mr Raj said.

Six trucks have been parked at the site to reportedly shift the victims out of the relief camp.

The families evacuated yesterday were forced to live in a bus stand at Neem Kheri village, three km away, with no electricity, water or toilet.

The state government is allegedly demolishing its camps and forcing the victims out to avoid constant media attention over the lack of medical and other facilities at the make-shift camps. Official figures say at least 34 children have died in the relief camps since September. (Knife to son's throat, she was allegedly raped during Muzaffarnagar riots)

"I think some sort of pressure is being exerted on those who run the camp. For the first time, they are telling us to leave," said Moumin, who along with his sister, Moumina, had to leave. They have 12 children and a disabled father in the 20-member joint family. (Read)

Many victims have refused to leave, fearing they may be cheated out of their compensation. The Akhilesh Yadav government has promised Rs 5 lakh to the riot-affected. (Deaths in Muzaffarnagar camps, carnival in Akhilesh Yadav's village)

"167 families have been paid compensation and they left. The remaining families will also leave gradually. We are not abandoning them. They have been given a week's ration and we are keeping track of where they go," said Indramani Tripathi, Additional District Magistrate, Muzaffarnagar.

But many allege they have not been paid. "We will only leave when we get our compensation," said Pushpa Saifi, a mother of three.

Akhilesh Yadav, nettled by a series of NDTV reports on the conditions in Muzaffarnagar's camps, yesterday refused to take a question from the channel at a press conference in Lucknow. (Read)

"I won't take your questions," the 40-year-old said.