'Provide compensation to 1984 riots vicitms'

Dehradun, August 30: The Sikh community of Uttaranchal has asked Chief Minister ND Tiwari to speedly provide compensation to the victims of 1984 riots.

Scores of Sikhs under the banner of Uttaranchal Sikh Federaton today gathered at District Collectorate and forwarded a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister through District Administration seeking appropriate compensation to the victims of the 1984 riots.

They have urged the State Government to assess the loss through police reports, fire reports and other related records and provide an amended rehabilitation package including interest after holding talks with the Central Government. The community has further demanded announcement of Rs 50 crore package for the victims from the state government's side as done by the governments of UP, Haryana, Delhi and Punjab.

They have suggested the Government to constitute a high level committee to identify the actual victims.

Uttaranchal Sikh Federation president Gurpal Singh lamented that even after 22 years of the riots, the victims had not been provided justice. Nothing that the Central Government had, on January 16 announced a Rehabilitation Package to the riot victims and instructed the state governments to abide by the instructions by March 31. Para 5 and 6 of the Order also instructed that for damage caused to the uninsured residential and business houses, ten times of the relief amount declared earlier be provided, he said, nothing that only 20 percent of the victims had been provided one percent compensation of maximum loss earlier.

''It is an insult to the Sikhs who had bravely remained in their respective states despite threat to their lives that time,'' he said.

UNI