India delays building homes for Bangla cyclone victims

DHAKA - Bangladesh has told India that the building of homes for the victims of the November 2007 Cyclone Sidr was “very slow” and that it should be expedited.

Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, on a brief visit here last Saturday, was reminded of his voluntary pledge. Mukherjee, who was then the external affairs minister, had visited the cyclone-hit area Dec 1 that year “to express solidarity of the people of India” to those marooned.

Thousands had died in the cyclone that hit large parts of Bangladesh Nov 15, 2007.

Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said that the process for materialising Indian pledge to build houses for Bangladeshi families “has been very slow”. Moni said she had discussed the issue with Mukherjee.

“We hope they would complete it speedily,” New Age newspaper quoted her as saying Monday.

Mukherjee had pledged during his December 2007 visit that India would construct houses for 1,600 Bangladeshi families.