Sindhupalchowk, Nishulk upchaar bata pahiro pidit vanchit. KATHMANDU: Grief-stricken and destitute locals vented ire against the government as they scrambled for immediate relief, free medical treatment and early rehabilitation, a week after deadly landslide struck their settlements in Sindhupalchowk. Santosh Parajuli of Ban Sanghu said he had already spent nearly two lakh rupees to provide treatment to his injured parents. His neighbour Durga Lal Shrestha also said he paid more than Rs 50,000 for his wife Ritu’s treatment. Orthopedic patients Man Bahadur Parajuli, his wife Kamala and Ritu are now fighting for their lives in hospitals after a massive landslide struck Ban Sanghu area on August 2, killing more than 156 people. Kamala is undergoing treatment at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Man Bahadur is admitted to Dhulikhel hospital and Ritu has been shifted from TUTH to Civil Hospital. Nine others who narrowly escaped death have already been discharged from different hospitals. According to Santosh, neither the government authorities nor anyone else helped the injured to pay medical bills. “I have no more money to spend,” he said. Parajuli and Shrestha are among more than a hundred families who turned homeless after the landslide. Shrestha said his family had not received any support. Raj Kumar Shrestha, a member of local youth club, flayed the government for its apathy. “We were forced to collect more than Rs 100,000 ourselves for funerals at Pashupati Aryaghat,” he claimed. Most of the bodies recovered from the debris were cremated in Pashupati Aryaghat. Assistant Chief District Officer Deep Raj Regmi, who visited bedridden women in Kathmandu hospitals, also admitted that the injured did not get free treatment facilities as announced by the government. “The district administration will discuss their concerns as soon as possible and make necessary efforts to ensure free treatment for them,” he said. According to doctors, Mainali and Shrestha who got serious spinal cord injuries, are recovering and are out of danger. Meanwhile, landslide victims have threatened to encroach upon Kathmandu streets for shelter, saying the government has turned a deaf ear to their cries. Durga Lal Shrestha who lost six of his family in the landslide said, “We will submit a memorandum to the prime minister after completing 13-day last rites,” he added. Most of the government and political leaders are more concerned about ‘Chari killing’ than the Sindhupalchowk ordeal, Ram Bahadur Tamang who lost seven members of his family, told The Himalayan Times. “Relief, rehabilitation and rescue are moving at a snail’s pace,” he said. Indra Bahadur Shrestha, who got displaced from his ancestral village, also criticised government authorities for not handling relief distribution work properly. “Most of the families of the deceased have not been given relief yet,” he said. Member secretary at the district natural disaster relief committee Rajendra Pyakurel, however, said a joint team of stakeholders was conducting a survey in Ramche, Mangkha, Tekanpur and Dhuskun VDCs to identify the real victims. “The survey findings will help screen the needy and minimise misuse of relief materials,” he said. According to him, the relief committee has already collected more than Rs 2.7 million for 75 organisations and individuals.