Mahal Riot Compensation Disbursed, But Many Say It Falls Short of Actual Losses
Nagpur: Three months after the March 17 Mahal riots, the district administration has completed the disbursal of compensation to most affected residents. However, for many, the relief has been underwhelming.
While the paperwork may be complete, residents say the compensation feels tokenistic — nowhere close to covering the actual damage suffered during the unrest.
Satish Peshne, whose car was completely gutted by fire, received Rs50,000. "The loss runs into lakhs. I'm glad I had insurance, or I would have had to bear the entire expense myself," he said. Sanjay Harde, another resident whose two-wheeler, four-wheeler, and house windows were all damaged, was given Rs15,000.
"My two-wheeler repairs alone cost Rs15,000, not to mention the car. All four house windows were shattered.
Replacing them cost a fortune," he said.
Brijesh Chandak, who received Rs20,000 nearly two months after the incident, said the amount hardly justifies the extent of damage. His car was vandalised, and the doors and windows of his bungalow were damaged. "It's not just about the money — it's about fair valuation of what we lost," he added.
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Frustration over the compensation process isn't limited to those who received inadequate payouts. Some, like Ketan Bhise and Ashish Chaudhari, claim they haven't received any compensation yet. According to the administration's own damage assessment, over 60 vehicles were vandalised and the total loss was pegged at Rs7.15 lakh, as reported by TOI previously.
Residents have also raised concerns over fairness and consistency in the payout process.
Pankaj Dahikar, whose vehicle had all four windows shattered, questioned why he received the same Rs10,000, the same as someone whose car had only one broken window. "Damage assessments seem arbitrary. How is this fair?" he asked.
Many residents feel the uniform payouts fail to capture the scale of individual losses. They say the system does not account for the difference between minor and major damage, leaving those with severe losses feeling overlooked and undervalued.
Officials maintain that the compensation amounts were disbursed strictly as per the provisions of the govt resolution (GR). "We have sanctioned and transferred compensation to nearly all affected residents. A few cases are still pending, but that's primarily due to incomplete documentation. We're actively working on resolving those and they will be cleared soon," said an official from the administration.
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