DEHRADUN, July 1, 2013: Over 2,000 survivors from Rajasthan, MP, Maharashtra and UP and others have been running pillar to post to claim the immediate relief amount of Rs 2,000 in Dehradun, Jollygrant Airport, Rishikesh and Haridwar over the last five days.

Many of the rescued pilgrims cannot pay their way back to their home states without the relief amount of Rs 2,000. "We're penniless, how can we proceed unless we are given the relief amount," 55-year-old survivor Mahendra Singh from Jaipur asks.

These survivors said they have not been able to get the relief cash allegedly due to irregularities in its disbursement. They said some officials entrusted the responsibility of distributing the money have been trying to embezzle the fund.

These survivors have accused some senior officers of the disaster management department of giving the relief amount to people other than the survivors, alleging tacit consent of state politicians as well. "Many of us have been denied the relief amount as the money which has been diverted for other purposes", said a Kalpeshwari Devi from Bhopal.

IAS officer Ranjeet Sinha, in-charge of giving out the relief amount, denied any such irregularities saying the question of being %denied the amount does not arise. "Survivors may be stuck for want of money but they will never be denied what is due to them", said Sinha.

A senior officer in Dehradun admitted that many survivors could not proceed further due to delay in payment, but assured that it %is being ensured that each one gets the relief amount before leaving for their home states.

Source: The Hindu, DT. July 1, 2013.