Victims of 1984 riots yet to be compensated: Josh

Ranchi, Dec 2 (UNI) National Commission for Minority member Harcharan Singh Josh today said the 1984 anti-Sikh riots victims, across the country, were still suffering following 'lackadaisical attitude' of the state governments concerned in giving them compensation.

Talking to newspersons here, Mr Josh said the Centre had released about Rs 735 crore as economic package in the beginning of 2006 rpt 2006 for the riots' victims but a large chunk was still lying with several state governments.

Mr Josh said the conditions of victims in several places were miserable.

''In New Delhi the government is yet to distribute the money in about 3000 cases and in Uttar Pradesh only 2234 cases had been disposed off against 4326,'' Mr Josh said adding that more than 3000 people lost their lives in the national capital only.

Refering to Jharkhand, Mr Josh said about Rs 18 crore were released to the state government but only half of the sum was distributed as compensation against 655 cases so far.

''Still 610 cases were pending,'' he informed.

Altogether 11 districts in Jharkhand, including Koderma, Bokaro, Ranchi, Hazaribagh, and Jamshedpur, were affected in the riots.

On Jammu and Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh, Mr Josh said,''The condition was more or less same.'' UNI