After tragedy it's Rum Rajya

Bars and liquor stores are thriving in flood-affected areas, offering drinks against flood-relief cheques

Bars and liquor stores are thriving in flood-affected areas, offering drinks against flood-relief cheques

People in flood-ravaged areas are trading their relief cheques for liquor.

A voluntary organisation working in Raichur district has returned with shocking stories of how money being handed out by the government is ending up in the coffers of bar and liquor store owners.

"It is pathetic," said Anil Kumar, chairman of SAVE, a voluntary organisation working in Raichur, one of the worst affected districts. "And women and families are frustrated."

At a village called Talamari, Kumar saw people giving away their cheques to the bar managers.

"Business is increasing at the bars," he said.

MiD DAY was able to independently confirm Kumar's observations.

Take relief cheque, make beeline for bar: People whose homes were damaged in the floods earlier this month, as in Talamari in Raichur district (right), are said to be spending all the monetary aid they received on liquoru00a0illustration/Sameer Pawar

Relief in a bottle
Most villagers have received cheques between Rs 5,000 and Rs 7,000, but some have received even smaller sums. They have no roof over their head, and no work. The government has announced relief up to Rs 35,000 for a household, depending on the damage to its home.

Voluntary organisations are helping people with clothes and utensils, but many of the men, depressed and with nothing to do, are making a beeline for the bars.

Service groups such as SAVE are now demanding a closure of liquor shops for a month so that the relief funds are used properly.

The woes of Raichur: Raichur was one of the worst affected by the floods in North Karnataka. Images (top left and right) show the extent of flooding in the district at the peak of the deluge. The images (bottom) show the destruction left behind once the waters had receded in areas like Talamari village in the district. Seen in the picture (bottom right) is Anil Kumar of SAVE, an organisation working for flood relief

Bars cash in
The administration does not agree that relief cheques are being used to obtain liquor.

Upendra Tripathi, excise commissioner, said, "We urge people not to drink, and I don't think bar owners are collecting relief cheques."

He feels closing bars is not a good idea.

"People will go looking for spurious liquor, and that will be more dangerous," he said.

Ashok Patil, a former municipal councillor in Raichur, confirmed that people were giving away their cheques for drinks.

"No one is bothering about malaria and dengue spreading here. The truth is that bar owners are making a fortune from this tragedy," he said.

Some villagers have received cheques for as little as Rs 1,000, and they are spending it all on drink.

Excise Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu was not available when MiD DAY called his mobile.

An assistant who picked up the call said he had left the phone at home and gone out.