Delhi govt to launch verification drive for release of compensation to riot victims: Sisodia

The Delhi government will launch a two-day mega drive from Saturday to verify the claims of riot victims for compensation, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said.

He said the verification drive will be an important exercise to determine the claimants as the AAP government is facing the issue of duplication of claim forms.

The government wants the verification process to complete at the earliest so that the victims can get compensation as soon as possible, Sisodia told reporters at a press conference on Friday.

The exercise will be headed by six senior IAS officers, he said.

Sisodia said the government has so far received around 1,700 compensation forms. He said that each floor of a house will be treated as one residential unit, adding that Rs 5 lakh will be given to each residential unit out of which Rs 4 lakh is for restructuring of the house and Rs 1 lakh for belongings if the entire house was burnt.

Earlier Friday, Sisodia and Environment Minister Gopal Rai visited the Eidgah in Mustafabad in northeast Delhi and interacted with the riot victims sheltered there.

The deputy chief minister said the rehabilitation of victims was being done at a fast pace in riot-hit areas.

So far, Rs 88 lakh has been released as compensation to the riot victims, he said.

The deputy chief minister, who also holds the education portfolio, said the government has held a parent-teacher meeting at a short notice in northeast Delhi.

The PTMs were held at riot-hit schools in northeast Delhi.

"The idea behind holding the PTM that recorded at least 55% turnout of parents was to erase the fear from their minds and to encourage them to start sending their kids to school again," he said.