Martyrs’ families still waiting for goverment land

Speed Post News Network

Ara: At least 37 families of martyrs in Old Shahabad district are  waiting for the goverment which was promised to them even after 45 years of 1971 Indo-Pak war. These 37 martyrs beloged to old Shahabad district that includes Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas and Kaimur districts. In 1973,  Bihar Government had announced construction of houses, five acre of agriculture land and 12 decimal of land for houses to the widows and family members of these martyrs but even after lapse of 43 years, they are still awaiting these benefits.

Though the government had constructed 10 flats at the district headquarters, Ara, and 10 families of the martyrs were  allotted these flats, the rest 27 flats were constructed at Patna and were given to martyrs’ families there but five acre of agriculture land and 12 decimal of land for houses were given to only two families of the martyrs and the rest 35 families of martyrs are still to get the same.

Advocate Surendra Prasad Singh, son of Srimannarayan Singh, a martyr of 1971 war, said that officials had assured to write names of martyrs on marble tablets near the military flats at the time of allotment of flats to the 10 families of the martyrs but to no avail so far. The district administration failed to make boundarywall around the flats and a gate despite several requests.Gantgajali Devi, widow of Srimannarayan Singh, said that 37 persons of Indian army from Old Shahabad district were killed in Indo-Pak war.

Recalling the atmosphere during the freedom movement, a 93 year old freedom fighter Ram Narain Prasad said that he was a student of Intermediate in 1942-1943 when Quit India Movement was launched at the call of the Mahatma Gandhi and the British government was determined to crush the movement and treated the Indians as bonded labourers. He, however,  lamented the indifferent attitude of the government towards the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for their motherland.