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Watabung people want compo from Govt
By
JAMES KILA
ONE principal landowner of Ulape, the site where the landslide occurred on Tuesday which claimed the lives of several people is calling on the National Government, particularly Works Secretary and Minister to give a guarantee to locals at Watabung that they would be paid some form of compensation before the road is open for traffic. Peter Karre, who is a prominent community leader in Watabung, strongly said that the section of the road will not be open until the Secretary for Works and the Minister meets the people and also give an assurance to compensate them for the loss they had encountered in the disaster. Mr Karre said the government had already set a bad precedent when it paid the Daulo Landowners Association led by John Kindinive more than K200,000 sometime last year for a landslip at Daulo Pass. He said they are not threatening the government or trying to put the nation at ransom, but lives had been lost and people had also lost properties, including their food and coffee gardens. Mr Karre, who was among the first local leader from Goroka to arrive at the scene of the disaster, was upset He said the government is mandated by the people and must be concerned about the welfare and livelihood of the people. He said the disaster claimed lives of locals from Watabung ward 7 and others believed to be from Bougainville, Madang and Simbu provinces. He argued they know a lot of false claims and other corrupts deals are made in the event of natural disasters in PNG, especially the Highlands, however, the case at Watabung is a genuine one and the government must address. "The case at Watabung is genuine and we do not want to issue any threats or abuse the process. "We are only requesting the government for some form of payment for lives lost as well as for properties destroyed by the disaster," Mr Karre said. He said Okuk Highway is considered the "economic life-line" of the Highlands and PNG and the government must be serious in addressing issues regarding the livelihood of the people who suffered during the disaster. "The government and businesses make millions from the use of the highway," he said. "We are only asking for only several thousands of kina to help the people who had suffered during the disaster," Mr Karre said. |
NEWS
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