Two years on, ex-gratia for 23 victims of Bholath yet to be disbursed

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 25

Congress spokesperson Sukhpal Khaira today questioned Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal of any guarantee of honouring an announcement of ex-gratia made by him for those killed in a road accident at Manikaran, especially since the Dalit families of 23 victims from Fatehpur and Bajaj village of Bholath were still awaiting any such aid for the past nearly two years. This was stated by him in an open letter to the CM.

Khaira was here along with Jagir Singh of Fatehpur village, who had lost 14 members of his extended family in the accident, today said that the next of the kin were yet to get a single penny since the tragic incident that occurred at Manguwal barrier near Hoshiarpur wherein a tempo had fallen into a gorge on way back from pilgrimage to Chintpurni. Jagir Singh had come alongwith his seven-year-old physically and mentally challenged granddaughter Jashanpreet, who got orphaned after the mishap.

Jagir Singh, an ex-serviceman, rued that with no aid, no work and no women left in the house, it was extremely difficult to take care of his paralysed granddaughter. “The accident has made our lives nightmarish and with no aid coming, our condition has become all the more pathetic”, he even complained of indifference on the part of area legislator Bibi Jagir Kaur. “She has not supported us so for but we know that whenever this aid comes, it will be disbursed through her so that she gets the mileage,” he ridiculed her.

Bholath ex-MLA said the CM had been only making announcements for relief while he had been doling out ex-gratia selectively as and when it suited him. “You have been showering crores and lakhs of rupees as ex-gratia grants selectively at the cost of public exchequer. To quote a few examples, Rs 1 crore and a class I job has been given to the family of Sarabjit Singh killed in a Pakistan jail. Similarly, your government paid Rs 29 lakh and Rs 22.5 lakh as ex-gratia compensation to the families of those killed by your Orbit Transport Company, at Moga and Ropar recently,” Khaira pointed out.

He lambasted the CM saying, “In order to reap political dividends over the death of poor people in a similar road accident at Manikaran, you have once again today made an announcement of Rs 1 lakh ex-gratia grant to the families of those killed. What is the guarantee that you will honour the commitment of Rs 1 lakh ex-gratia grant made to the families of those killed in the Manikaran bus accident, if you have not honoured your commitment to pay ex-gratia grant to the poor Dalits killed two years back? It only shows the apathy, callous and insensitive attitude of your government towards the sufferings of the poor people of Punjab.”