Dharamshala: The residents of Orissa Phuntsokling Tibetan Settlement who suffered severe damage to their land, property and harvest due to cyclone Titli were compensated through the relief funds appealed by the Department of Home, CTA and CTA’s reserve funds for the settlement.
In a press conference this morning, Secretary Wangdu Tsering, Home department presented a detailed statement of the dispensation of the relief funds, which amounts to a total of INR 90,16,413.86 and an exgratia amount of INR 24,28,586.14 from the reserve funds of the Department of Home.
“So far we have received a donation of INR 90,16,413.86 from our well-wishers across the world and we remain thankful to all the organizations, both domestic and international, NGOs, individuals who have expressed their solidarity with us and our people in the settlement.
“Similarly, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the state government for compensating our people to the tune of INR 52,23, 678.00 and the compensation money due to the farmers have rightly been paid through bank accounts of individual farmers.”
“As you can see in the statement, the Department of Home paid a sum of INR 24,28,586.14 to compensate the deficit.”
Secretary said the compensations made to the residents in the settlement were strictly according to the damage assessment report.
As soon as the devastation caused by cyclone Titli on 10 October 2018 was reported to the Department of Home by the settlement officer, the section head of Agriculture section Dhondup Tsering was deputed to the settlement to assess the extent of damage and loss suffered by the people.
The assessment found that nearly 80 percent of standing maize crop in 1700 acres were damaged beyond repair. Many of the fruit and non-fruit plantations, as well as residential houses, suffered major damage.
Due to the unprecedented scale of damage caused by the cyclone Titli, the Department of Home and the State government jointly conducted damage assessment survey and came to conclude that the settlement suffered a total loss equivalent to INR 3 crores. Considering the extent of the loss, the Department of Home, CTA initiated a campaign to collect donations from the international Tibet supporters, Tibetan communities in exile and NGOs to compensate losses suffered by Tibetans in the settlement. The urgent appeal was made on 24 October 2018.
Subsequently, Wangdu Tsering, Secretary of the Department of Home accompanied by section head Dhondup Tsering visited the settlement from 16 to 19 January this year to further assess the situation and again, on 4 February, Home Kalon Sonam Topgyal Khorlatsang personally visited the settlement. Kalon promised the residents to deliver compensation to the tune of INR 114,45,000.00 based on the assessment report.
Because of its proximity to the Bay of Bengal, the Phuntsokling Tibetan Settlement is prone to devastation caused by frequent cyclones. It was badly hit by cyclones in 1972, 1991, 1995, 2013, 2014 and 2018 causing huge damage to standing crops, plantations and houses.
Established in May 1963, the settlement is one of the 45 Tibetan settlements under the direct supervision of the Department of Home, CTA. The current population of the settlement is 2092 with 398 families. The government of India in co-ordination with the state government allotted 1859 acres of land through the Central Tibetan Relief Committee, the registered relief wing of the Department of Home, CTA, for the livelihood of the people of the settlement.