Kollam: With increasing complaints of failed promises and frustration over slow pace of rehabilitation of tsunami victims, Kerala on Wednesday observed third anniversary of the tragedy that wiped out many villages, claiming 140 lives.
While people in worst-hit Arattupuzha here observed the day as "deception day" to protest the government's "failure" to fulfill the promises made, the NGOs too came under criticism for not keeping their commitments.
The coastal hamlets of Arattupuzha and Alappad panchayats mostly bore the brunt of the killer waves, which shattered long coastal stretches of Kerala, the 'Gods Own Country'.
"We are tired of promises of projects running into crores of Rupees made by the ministers in the last two years. But these promises have'nt brought any changes in our lives after we lost everything," a villager at Alappad said.
Though the government announced last year that the bank loans of the tsunami-hit would be written off, many complained of receiving revenue recovery notices from banks.
With palpable "disenchantment" in the area, the Government put off plans to hold a big tsunami anniversary meeting to be attended by Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan and others.
Revenue Minister K P Rajendran while candidly admitting "some delay" in carrying out the projects, said a new schedule has now been worked out to complete them by March 2009.
Refuting criticism, officials however say that out of the 2,909 houses planned in the first phase of rehabilitation by government and NGOs, 2,790 houses have been completed and handed over to beneficiaries. These included 50 houses built by Mata Amritanandamayi Mutt.
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