Anti-Sikh riots victims submit memorandum to Governor

Chandigarh, June 5 (UNI) Over 100 families of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots victims today took out a protest march against the Union Territory Administration's ''apathetic attitude'' in disbursing the central compensation of Rs two lakh each to the affected families now settled here.

Holding black flags, nearly 125 such families marched towards the Matka Chowk, raising anti-government slogans and then submitted a memorandum to Punjab Governor and the UT Administrator Gen (retd) S F Rodrigues, requesting him to help them in getting the compensation.

''Nearly 125 riot-affected families are living in Chandigarh after migrating to Punjab and the UT administration has got our verification done. But, it expressed its inability to disburse the grant, saying it is not competent to do so as it has received no directions in this regard from the Centre,'' the memorandum stated.

The concerned authorities in Punjab too had expressed their inability, saying that the UT would handle the claims, 1984 Danga Peerit Society, (Chandigarh), general secretary Ravinder Singh told reporters here after submitting the memorandum to the Governor.

These families, who have so far not got the compensation from either the Punjab government or the UT Administartion, pointed out in the memorandum, that they had been running in vain from pillar to post in the offices of both the Ropar district deputy commissioner and the Chandigarh deputy commissioner.

According to the UT Administration these affected families had migrated to Punjab and got their I-cards as the riot-affected families from the Punjab government. Thus, they have now been asked to approach the Punjab government and not the UT Administration for the compensation.

UNI PS VD GC1809