The issue of allotment of flats and grant to riot victims took a new turn on Monday when Congress leaders alleged that state government has not yet disbursed grant worth Rs 220 crore to the victims which was released in way back 2006. MLA of Riakot,Harmohinder Singh Pardhan,said,In 2006,the Centre government had sent grant worth Rs 440 crore to the state for 22,000 riot victim families. A total of Rs 13,000 families were given grant at the rate of Rs 2 lakh each in 2006 only when Capt Amarinder was the CM. However,later in 2007,the SAD-BJP government came into power and they disbursed money to only 2200 families till date. A total of Rs 220 crore are still lying unused and if interest is added to this amount,it will be a whopping amount. Senior Congress leaders Gurdev Singh Lapran and Amarjit Singh Tikka said,Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had fought all his elections while talking about the riot victims and now his government has been exposed badly. The Central government should ask the state government to disburse the pending amount and we will also take a delegation of the Danga Peerat Welfare Association to meet the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Congress leaders also condemned the cane charge on riot victims on Sunday. Interestingly,the Danga Peerat Welfare Association,that had been supporting the SAD government for long,was blaming the government. President of the Association Surjit Singh said,Our members are suffering because of the wrong policies of the CM and deputy CM. The Central government still gave the grant,but what has the state done for us? They have failed to allot even us flats. Now when the High Court has pulled up the officers,they have swung into action. Meanwhile,at a press conference organised by Deputy Commissioner Rahul Tiwari,it was stated that the the state government has waived off the condition of monthly income of less than Rs 1536,for riot victims to be eligible for flats. Now,only the two conditions stand red card and Punjab domicile certificate. The DC said 2300 applications have been verified and of these 1,150 cases were found genuine. These applicants should bring their original papers on October 7 in Guru Nanak Bhawan.
