Eight months have passed since the deadly blaze destroyed 50 structures in this border town, but not a single victim has yet received any compensation from the district administration.The traders are aghast over what they call the “callous attitude” of the district administration. The General Secretary Traders Federation Uri (TFU) Qayoom Chalkoo told news agency CNS that the district administration has failed to provide compensation despite a number of assurances.“After the fire incident, the district administration visited here and assured that everybody would be given the compensation for the losses they suffered,” said Chalkoo adding “It is very unfortunate that eight months have passed but the traders and shopkeepers are yet to receive any compensation.”“The residents of the town are poor and their livelihood totally depends on their business they run as most of the agricultural lands here have been occupied by the power generating companies and army,” he said.Chalkoo said: “Leave the compensation; the traders who lost their business to the devastating fire were not even rehabilitated.
As the administration has failed to provide the compensation, the traders here are on the verge of starvation”“I brought new grocery items worth lakhs of rupees after I lost my shop to the devastating fire. But till date we have not received any compensation,” said Farooq Ahmad Mir, a trader in the town.Besides 50 shops that were gutted in the devastating fire, there were a few godowns, textiles and medical shops which too faced the blaze. Khawaja News Agency- the only news agency in Uri was also damaged in the fire incident.In Legislative Assembly this year on 25 June, MLA Uri Mohammad Shafi Uri questioned the Minister for Revenue, Relief & Rehabilitation Basharat Bukhari about the relief and rehabilitation process of the Uri fire victims and in reply the minister had said that the ‘relief will be provided under Chief Minister Relief Fund’ (CMRF).The Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Nasir Ahmad Naqash told CNS that they have already taken up the matter with the government. “Once government gives nod we will compensate the victims,” he said. (CNS)