Appeals CM for help

Srinagar: Braving the chilly winters, Noor Shah and his family including wife and seven children lives under an open sky after their residential house gutted in fire. 

The poor family of Surf raw (Ganiwon) in district Ganderbal hoped that the government will help them by compensation. But the hope so far has remained elusive.

The laborer Shah, who has six daughters and a lone son, has been putting up miserably in a tin shed constructed after the fire.

After the tragic fire, began Shah's hopeless and tiresome visits to different government offices for pleading his case.

Shah said that he visited all the offices in the district- from police to District Commissioner. "I have completed all the documental formalities needed to make my compensation case officially proved. I visited all the offices where I needed to get authentication that my house was razed to ashes due to fire. But a year has passed now, nothing has been paid. Only a pile of paper has gathered with me," Shah told KNS, while showing the file of papers signed by all district officials who had to approve his case.

"We are living in a shanty like shed. My daughters, son and wife are facing tremendous hardship. I have nowhere to go," he said.

Although some relatives had helped him after the fire, but that was too little to construct even a single room.

"I am a laborer. It is difficult for me to make my ends meet, how can I build a house for my children. How can I give my family a semblance of comfort by building them few rooms," the distraught Shah said.

He said that he had knocked on all the doors of people in power, but had to return disappointed.

"All these months I hoped that the government will help me by compensation. But my hopes are dashed after a year. No relief has been given to me," he said.

The poor Shah has appealed to the state's chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to help him.

"I hope Mufti Sahab can ask his officials to compensate me. I want to meet him and request him for help, but it is difficult for me to meet him. Now I appeal him through media to help me and my distraught family," Shah said. (KNS)