SUNSARI: The Koshi flood victims have launched an agitation, accusing the government of trying to resettle them on the banks of a stream. The victims are against the plan of the District Natural Disaster Rescue Committee to settle them by purchasing 29 bighas of land in Hariharpur VDC Wards No 1 and 2. The victims have stated that the proposed location is unfit for habitation. They demonstrated on the proposed area this afternoon by chanting slogans against alleged irregularity by purchasing the land on the banks of the Shripur Khola. They accused authorities of falling to the tricks of some real estate brokers and political leaders to decide against the welfare of the victims. The agitators took out a rally by halting traffic at Harihar Chowk for an hour on the East-West Highway. They scattered sand on the road to protest the settlement plan. Pancha Narayan Mandal, chairman, Flood Victims’ Struggle Committee, said the scattering of sand was to symbolically protest the plan to settle them on a sandy land. Addressing the rally, Mandal announced more programmes of protest. The agitators will send a memorandum to the Prime Minister through the Chief District Officer and will enforce an indefinite strike beginning January 5 if their demands are not addressed. From January 6, they are set to close all the social organisations based in the flood-affected area. Expressing solidarity for the agitation, Aditya, Sunsari assistant secretary of the Maoists, said his party would support any kind of movement of the victims in the area since the government authorities were playing foul with the flood victims by misusing the funds. Anil Yadav of the youth wing of the Saptakoshi Flood Victims and Mohan Mandal of Koshi Flood Victims Landless Struggle Committee also accused some of the officials, leaders and flood victims of purchasing the land in an inappropriate area at an expensive price for commission. The victims also threatened to hit the streets carrying utensils and kids. As per the government plan of providing land for the victims, in the first phase of implementation, District Natural Disaster Rescue Committee had purchased the land in Hariharpur. The government has disbursed the budget for purchasing 142 bighas of land at the rate of Rs 25,000 per kattha.