Congress suspect foul play in Damu Nagar slum fire

MUMBAI: The Congress came out with documents that shows Damu Nagar is not on forest land but belongs to a trust. The party also alleged conspiracy behind the recent slum fire and demanded an inquiry.
“Its private land and we suspect that fire was a conspiracy to remove slum dwellers from the land. Few years ago, after fire at Bandra slum they got Rs 25,000 help from the government, but the BJP government offered help of Rs 3800 to the Damu Nagar fire victims.We want the government to increase the amount and conduct an inquiry about the fire” said city Congress president Sanjay Nirupam.
A week has been passed but the life of Damu Nagar fire victims are not on track; children are not attending school as fire burnt their school uniform , books and they are helping their parents to rebuilt their houses.
A massive fire broke out at Damu Nagar slum in Kandivli East on December 7. The fire killed two slum dwellers and gutted more than 2000 huts. Residents on nearby posh society came forward to help slum dwellers after providing clothes and food after the incident. But, victims’ live yet to become normal as all of them struggling to rebuild their house.
"I have not taken bath since one week because place is open and I am a girl. We have made our house with rags only roof is covered and all the sides of our house is open" said 12-year-old Archana Gupta. She is studying in class 8 and taking care of her two siblings. She along with her siblings not attending school. She said, “My mother went on work to earn money for our school uniform.” She worried of being left behind in her studies. The school authority assured to help her to cope up with her studies.
Like Archana there are many children in the area who are not attending their schools and worried about their uncertain future. Many of the parents had informed school authorities about the fire and requested to allow their kids to attend their schools after few days. "School authorities are agree to help our kids to complete their syllabus once they re-join the schools" said one of the parents. Most of the slum dwellers works in nearby buildings as a house-help, security guard and sweeper.
NGOs have distributed house hold utensil, rice, daal, clothes and books among slum dwellers encouraging them to send their children to school. But, since slum dwellers are still struggling to re-build their houses, they are not allowing kids to go out of the area.