BADIN, Aug 13: Suspension of distribution of relief goods following a boycott by Nazims has compounded the miseries of rain victims of the district.

Awam Dost Panel Nazims have boycotted the relief operation as they are saying that the district relief committee appointed by the Sindh government should be suspended and a relief committee be constituted under area Nazims. On Monday, the Badin District Council adopted a resolution against the relief committee, demanding its suspension.

A visit to affected areas of Badin by this correspondent revealed that the people were facing problems as they were not being provided with relief goods, including food packets.

Irregularities were also witnessed in distribution of relief goods as more than 70 per cent of the goods were sent to areas which were less affected.

The relief goods were being provided on recommendations of Nazims of respective talukas. To streamline the process, an army officer was supplying union council Nazims with relief goods, to be distributed among rain victims. Priority was to be given to more affected people in an area.

It was the responsibility of Nazims to maintain a proper record of relief items they received and distributed among the people.

It was noticed that in many cases the record was maintained in very informal way and some Nazims did not maintain the same, as they reportedly distributed the ration haphazardly.

The people in different areas also complained of favouritism in the relief operation, saying many deserving people remained deprived of relief goods as the distributors dispatched the same to less affected areas.

In the Badin city, 16 truck loaded with ration were given to Nazims of three union councils but in the Bhurgari locality the residents said only one kilogramme flour was given to a family after 20 days of rains. In the same locality, some of the families received three or five kilograms flour.

Similarly, residents of the Bookhi village, Mohammad Khan Bhurgari Union Council, said Nazim of their union council had received 10 trucks of relief items but he had been keeping them on false hopes for the ration.

Haroon Lund of the Bhurgra Memon Union Council said he had submitted a list of victims of his village, Fazal Khan Lund, to the Nazim who had handed over the ration to an influential person of the village, Nabi Bux Lund. He said the ration was not distributed among villagers and it was usurped. He accused Nazims of preparing false lists of the affected people.

Ghulam Qadir Jatoi of Deh Singhari, Kadhan Union Council, complained that only 40 kilograms flour was released to his village of 25 families, though the UC Nazim had received 20 trucks of ration.

The rain victims demanded an inquiry into misappropriation in relief goods and distribution of ration among the people.

Meanwhile, Awam Dost Panel Nazims have warned that they will observe a strike on Friday if the district relief committee was not suspended.