AAP: Give jobs to kin of Dasehra tragedy victims

AMRITSAR: Even as AAP announced a protest on October 22 in support of victims of tragic train accident to impress upon the Capt Amarinder Singh government to provide them promised jobs, kin of the victims said they would resume the protest only after meeting officials of the district administration on Monday.

Families of the Joda Phatak tragedy victims have held a number of protests for jobs in the past one year. File photo

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 20

Even as AAP announced a protest on October 22 in support of victims of tragic train accident to impress upon the Capt Amarinder Singh government to provide them promised jobs, kin of the victims said they would resume the protest only after meeting officials of the district administration on Monday.

Deepak Kumar, who lost his father Girinder Kumar and uncle Pawan Kumar in the accident, said they had discontinued their protest call on October 8 after SDM Vikas Hira assured them of putting their demands before the government. Some BJP leaders would accompany them to offices of district officials and the SAD has already extended support to them.

He said in case the government did not come forward to hold their hands, they would certainly hold protest on October 22. Meanwhile, AAP’s planned protest will commence near Joda Phatak railway crossing, where the accident had taken place a year ago on Dasehra.

AAP Majha zone president Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said jobs were promised to the next of kins of victims on compassionate ground.

He said repeated promises of the government had proved to be hollow. Recently, the government assured to give them jobs before October 19. However, it once again proved to be a gimmick to buy time and get lifted the protest being held to mark the first anniversary of the disaster.

Another AAP leader Ashok Talwar condemned the government for its failure to fix responsibility and accountability in the gruesome accident that snuffed out nearly 60 lives.