Can’t increase ex gratia beyond limit: CM

Ravi Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service
Batala, September 6

Despite the visit of the Chief Minister, two MPs, one former MP, four ministers and a horde of MLAs to the Civil Hospital, dejection was clearly visible on the faces of the kin of the deceased as Capt Amarinder Singh made it clear that he was not in a position to enhance the ex gratia already announced.

A day after the Batala tragedy, the Chief Minister had announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of each of the 23 victims.

On Friday, the CM visited the Civil Hospital to meet the injured, there were 19 of them. However much to the disappointment of the kin, who were camping outside the hospital to have a word with him, The CM said the government had laid out a standard operating procedure (SOP) for paying grants to people suffering due to such calamities. He said he could not go beyond what was stated in the SOP.

“Ex gratia is monetary compensation arising from a sense of moral obligation rather than any legal requirement. People should understand that the state government cannot increase it. Still, I’ll urge the CM to tap other avenues,” said Cabinet Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who was accompanying the CM.

Notably, the Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU) has been critical of the amount announced and had urged the CM to increase it to at least Rs 25 lakh. Romesh Rana, vice-president of the Punjab unit of the IFTU, said, “If the SOP does not allow for an increase, the state government should arrange money from other sources.”

Meanwhile, the CM said he had asked the Chief Secretary and the DGP to immediately ensure that no illegal cracker manufacturing or storage units were being operated.

Sources say with the festive season approaching, these are the days when hundreds of small units start functioning from crowded places within the MC limits of the cities. “All these units will now have to face the heat,” said an official.

Moreover, the CM wondered why the magisterial probe ordered into the January 21, 2017, blast, which killed one and injured two, at the same factory was scuttled midway. “The incident happened during the SAD-BJP rule. It is highly unfortunate that the probe was aborted by the government of the day,” he added.

Randhawa, however, said had the probe been completed and responsibility fixed, things would have been different now and the Batala tragedy could have been averted. “At least this time, I assure that the probe will be taken to its logical conclusion.”

Factory sealed near Ropar

Ropar: An illegal firecracker manufacturing unit was sealed at Barra Pind near here on Friday. On receiving information, SDM Harjot Kaur raided the unit and seized all material and sealed it in the evening. The SDM said the unit owner, Manoj Bhalla, had got a licence to sell the firecrackers. However, it was found that he had stored more firecrackers than the allowed limit of 100 kg, Kaur added. A report will be submitted to the Ropar DC for further action, the SDM added. tns