A devastating fire that broke out on February 13 in the Gournagar block area under Kailashahar town reduced three dwelling houses belonging to two daily wage labourer families to ashes, leaving them completely destitute.
The incident occurred in the afternoon, and while the preliminary assumption suggests that the fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit, the possibility of sabotage has not been ruled out. However, the exact cause of the fire is yet to be confirmed.
The blaze completely destroyed three houses belonging to Dulal Bauri and Mangala Bauri, both daily wage earners. None of their household belongings or essential items could be salvaged. The two families together comprise 12 members, including two young children and four school-going students.
Since the incident, the affected families have been taking temporary shelter in the house of a local resident, Aftab Ali. Allegedly, although the administration provided verbal assurances after the fire, no official financial assistance or relief materials have reached the families so far.
On Wednesday afternoon, a delegation from the Gournagar SHG Village Federation visited the site to assess the situation and meet the affected families. The delegation included Federation President Namita Debnath, Secretary Uma Debnath, Treasurer Nazma Begum, and other members. The Federation handed over cash financial assistance to Dulal Bauri and Mangala Bauri as an immediate relief measure.
Speaking on the occasion, Federation President Namita Debnath said that both Dulal and Mangala are daily wage workers, and describing them merely as poor would not fully capture their situation. She stated that the fire had rendered them completely homeless and appealed to people from all sections of society to come forward and support the families.
Meanwhile, questions are being raised in the area over the role of the local Gournagar Gram Panchayat, as no effective assistance has reportedly been provided by the Panchayat authorities even several days after the incident.
