New Delhi, June 05: About 30,000 families, displaced in the post-Godhra riots, continued to live in difficult conditions as the Gujarat Government failed to provide adequate succour to them, the Supreme Court appointed Commissioner has said in a report.
The report submitted by N C Saxena to the apex court on Monday, said about 4,545 families comprising 30,000 people were still living in very difficult conditions in 81 relief camps.
Ironically, the report said, that none of the colonies had been set up or assisted by the state government and sought issuance of contempt notices to the Gujarat Chief Secretary and other officials for allegedly misleading the commissioner that no camps were existing in the state.
The report said that there was prima facie evidence to state that the Gujarat Government had wilfully defied the apex court's earlier directions to ensure proper food and employment schemes like ICDS, MDMS, PDS, NREGA, Antodaya to the affected families.
According to Saxena, though the state was asked to implement the schemes, the Gujarat Government responded back with a reply that there were no relief colonies of people displaced by the 2002 Gujarat riots.
The Gujarat Government's claim was false as subsequently, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) deputed three of its members who visited various colonies and witnessed the pathetic conditions in which they were living, Saxena said.
Quoting the NCM team's findings, the Commissioner noted that the violence had put an end to the livelihood of many victims who were self-employed, traders, artisans and industrialists as their clients were no longer willing to utilise their services.
The commissoner among other things has suggested opening of primary schools in all the 81 camps with mid-day meals schemes, job cards and establishment of the ICDS centres at all the relief camps.
Bureau Report
