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Eid brings little joy to erosion victims

S DILIP ROY, Lalmonirhat
The coming Eid-ul-Fitr will make hardly any difference to about two lakh people in Sadar, Aditmari, Kaliganj, Hat iband ha and Pat gram upazilas in the district as the recent floods and erosion in Teesta and Dharla river basin areas turned them homeless and helpless.
A large number of them also lost their standing crops, domestic animals and other belongings due to the natural calamity.
Lalmonirhat District Relief and Rehabilitation Office distributed 1,05061 VGF cards as Eid special allocation for the hapless people but 10 kg of rice, given against each card, is too scanty to celebrate the festival.
"We are not in a position to spend any money for observing Eid as we are now struggling for our daily food," said Atiar Rahman, 58, a farmer of flood hit Gobordhon village under Aditmari upazila.
Altafur Rahman, 68, a famier of Sinduma village in Hatibandha upazila, said, "Eid will not bring any joy to us as erosion by the Teesta River has robbed me of my assets, rendering my six-member family shelterless.”
Afroza Begum, 50, of Dawabari village of Hatibandha upazila said, "My husband Motaleb Hossain is a farmer. We cultivated four bighas of land for early variety aman paddy but half of the plants were damaged by the recent floods. We have no alternative job in the village. So Eid enjoy is not for us."
Flood-hit Alema Bewa, 55, of Gokunda village in Lalmonirhat Sadar said, "I got 10 kg of rice as special allocation ahead of the Eid. But where will I get the money to buy new cloth, vermicelli and sugar for observing Eid?" Khotib
Uddin, chairman of Sindurna union parishad (UP) at Hatibandha upazila, said, "A large number of people of this union have lost their belongings due to the flood and erosion. 2300 VGF cards were given here as special allocation for the Eid but there are at least 7,000 badly affected families."
Habibur Rahman Habib, chairman of Mogholhat UP in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, said there are at least 5,000 helpless families in his union but he got only 2100 VGF cards for them.
During this correspondent's visit to different villages in Teesta and Dharla river basin on Monday and Tuesday, many people, now staying on government road after losing their homesteads, croplands and other assets by Teesta and Dhara river erosion, said they did not get any support from the authorities to observe the Eid.
They alleged that the UP chairman and members distributed government allocated VGF cards to the people other than the really needy ones.
“The government's special relief was not distributed among us. We may have to pass the Eid day without food,” said Mokter Hossain, 65, a victim ofTeesta erosion at Kalmati village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.
Lalmonirhat District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Anwarul Islam said, his office distributed 1,05,061 VGF cards as special allocation for the Eid at 45 unions and two municipalities under five upazilas in the district. Each card holder was given 10 kg of rice through the UP chairman and members concerned. The cards are meant for all the vulnerable families, not for only flood and erosion affected people."