Delhi Minister Atishi writes to chief secretary for providing ex-gratia relief to flood-affected families

New Delhi [India]: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi Revenue Minister Atishi has written to Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar in connection with providing ex-gratia relief to flood-affected families in Delhi.

The minister wrote the letter after reviewing the status of ex-gratia relief to flood victims on Friday evening. In a letter to the chief secretary Naresh Kumar, Atishi claimed that only 197 families out of 4,716 families have received the ex-gratia relief amount till now.

The Minister expressed concern at people staying in relief camps during the flood and asked the Chief Secretary to deploy all the officers even on weekends.

The letter written by AAP leader states that “I was shocked to find that, out of 4,716 families who were staying in relief camps during the flood, only 197 families have received the ₹10,000 ex gratia relief of the Delhi Government”.

She also requested Chief Secretary to ensure that all officers are deployed on Saturday and Sunday (July 29 and July 30), to process the ex gratia relief of flood-affected persons, so that the money can be transferred into their bank accounts on Monday.

The AAP leader has also sought a status report of the ex gratia compensation to be submitted to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and to her by 6 pm on July 31, 2023.

Earlier, Delhi PWD Minister Atishi directed the chief secretary to ensure that all amenities are provided to people sheltered in relief camps.

Marooned locals residing on the banks of the Yamuna were evacuated and shifted to relief camps after the river breached the danger mark, resulting in water spilling over and flooding several parts of the national capital.

The PWD minister said that since Friday, there have been complaints of inadequate facilities at the relief camps, adding that the people sheltered there claimed there was a shortage of water, inadequate toilets, electricity and poor quality of food.

“I have been trying to get in touch with the divisional commissioner since morning but he is not answering my phone calls or responding to my messages,” read the message issued by the office of the Minister to the Chief Secretary.

“The people of the city, who have been evacuated from their homes because of the flood, are our responsibility and need to be provided with every possible facility. Chief Secretary is hereby directed to ensure that all facilities are provided in relief camps and to take action against any officer whose laxity might cause difficulties to people in these camps,” the minister wrote further in her letter.

“Yamuna River water is receding and the people of Delhi will soon get respite in the next 12 hours,” the Delhi minister said earlier.

Several areas in the national capital went underwater as the Yamuna flowed over the danger mark following heavy and incessant rainfall and the release of water from the Hathnikund Barrage in neighbouring Haryana.

Meanwhile, the water levels in the Yamuna River showed a steady decline as it was recorded at 207.98 metres at the Old Railway Bridge at 11 pm on Friday, the official data of Central Water Commission (CWC) stated.

Delhi government informed further that a total of 25,478 people were evacuated as the Yamuna crossed the danger mark.