Authorities reach out to Kud terror victim’s family

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 25

After humiliating the Kud terror attack victim’s family, the authorities have started the process of sanctioning ex gratia to the affected family after their insensitivity was highlighted in these columns a few days back.

Officers at the helm of the affairs approached the family and promised to sanction relief within a couple of days after completing some legal formalities.

“A number of officers approached us in the last couple of days to pursue our case for ex gratia. They promised to dispose of the case within a couple of days after completing some formalities,” said Megha, daughter of deceased Mamata Thapa.

She said senior officers had contacted the family to get information regarding completion of legal formalities. “The authorities have promised that ex gratia will be delivered on our doorstep after completing legal formalities,” she said.

“After the inhuman face of the authorities was highlighted, there were positive developments on the part of officers at the helm of affairs,” she said. “Let us wait for some days to see the result of such promises and visits,” she added.

Politicians woke up from their slumber after the plight of the terror victim’s family was highlighted. Former minister Raman Bhalla, who was the only politician present during the cremation, visited the family today.

“I brought the matter to the notice of the Jammu Deputy Commissioner and asked him to sanction ex gratia as early as possible,” he said. He admitted that the authorities had adopted an inhuman approach towards the family.

“The inhuman approach of the authorities can be gauged from the fact that on the day of the attack, neither was any cloth provided to cover the body nor an ambulance provided to carry the body from the Udhampur hospital to Jammu,” he said.

Assembly Speaker and local MLA Kavinder Gupta said, “The authorities have been directed to provide ex gratia to the terror victim’s family.” “Adequate relief would be given to the family without any further hassles.”