BIRATNAGAR: Flood victims of Baluwahi in Biratnagar Metropolitan City-8 said the ward office was fleecing them while preparing documents which would prove them as genuine flood victims.

“As I am involved in five financial institutes, I reached the ward office seeking recommendation letter but they charged money for it and didn’t even provide receipt,” said Kalpana Yadav of Baluwahi. According to Yadav, she paid Rs 110 for each recommendation. “Even if the amount paid for the recommendation letters is very negligible, it has been creating problems for flood victims,” argued Laxmi Yadav. “Instead of providing recommendation letters to the victims free of cost during time of crisis, the ward office is fleecing us,” complained Madan Mandal, a local. Meanwhile, ward chairperson Amrit Aryal said they were collecting negligible amount of money for administrative purpose, adding that service seekers were provided receipts.