KARWAR : Mallapur villagers staged a protest against gram panchayat president and officials, alleging discrimination in distributing relief materials to flood-affected people. Mallapur village in Karwar taluk is one of the badly-affected by the recent floods. Many villagers had to be shifted to rehabilitation centre as their houses inundated in flood.
People and various organisations across the state collected relief materials and transported them to many villages including Mallapur. A few villagers alleged that there was a discrimination in distributing the relief materials, they were given to those who were close to panchayat president and officials.
Uday Bandekar, a villager said: “Kerosene and rice which given by the government to flood-affected people, has been distributed properly in the village. But the relief materials donated by people and organisations was not distributed to the flood-affected people. A huge quantity of material is stocked in godowns and it is transported to those acquainted with panchayat president and staff.”
Chandrashekar Bandekar, president of Mallapur gram panchayat said the village got sufficient relief materials. “All officials were busy working, therefore a few materials were stored in a godown, which is mistaken by a few villagers who are opposing me. There is no discrimination,” he added.Karwar assistant commissioner and nodal officers visited Mallapur on Wednesday and took stock of the godown. The officials asked panchayat officials to distribute relief materials to the flood-affected within a day.