On that fateful day, Kurseong too, like other places, witnessed the death of a person while several others were severe injured. The very next day, Banerjee was in Kurseong to take stock of the situation and assured every possible help by her government, while also announcing Rs2 lakh each for the family members of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
The family members of the deceased and those injured have received the promised assistance, but even after a gap of almost two years, there are still several injured persons in Kurseong sub-division who are yet to receive help from the state government, say well-placed sources.
One such yet-to-be compensated victim said, “We come from a poor background and our only means of sustenance is my husband who does odd jobs. The earthquake injured me and my six-year-old daughter and she sustained a severe head injury while I am still suffering from backache problems. My daughter has been under medical treatment since and I have taken loans from several people for the treatment, which is weighing down one me heavily. If the state government helps us, it would do a world of good for my daughter, but so far I have not received anything despite making rounds of the concerned offices that are supposed to hand out the compensation amount.
As per a Kurseong administration official, the names of those who are yet to receive aid have already been forwarded to the district administration and a response is awaited. (EOIC)