CM grants compensation to kin of blast victims

CM grants compensation to kin of blast victims
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 10
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today handed over cheques worth Rs 8.50 lakh as ex-gratia to the families affected in the Jogi Nagar blast that had claimed six lives and left several injured on Saturday evening.
Expressing condolence with the bereaved families, the CM granted an ex-gratia amount of Rs one lakh for each death, out of the Chief Minister's Relief fund. Further, he awarded compensation (varying upon the gravity of damage) to people, whose houses sustained jerks due to the impact of blast. Further, Badal announced that the state government would bear the medical expenses of all those who sustained injuries in the blast. Meanwhile, he assured that the education expenses of the son of the deceased Nachhattar Singh, in whose house the blast took place, would also be borne by the state government.
However, the award of compensation amount failed to satisfy the affected families.
Karamjeet Kaur, who lost her husband and two daughters, asked the chief minister to grant her some more relief amount. Pleading before the CM, she did her best to convince him for lending an assurance of a job to her to help her eke out livelihood and ensure the upbringing of her sole surviving son but refraining from make any commitment, Badal said it was not possible for him.
When asked about the cause of the blast, which still remains a mystery for all, the chief minister said, “Various agencies were investigating the cause and hope they would ascertain it soon.”
Replying to a query related to the award of compensation to the flood victims, the chief minister flayed the union government for ill-treating Punjab. He said even after being aware of the calamity that affected hundreds of people of the state, the union government released not even a single penny till date. Later, the CM inspected various under construction/renovation projects, including the cycle path, Bir Talab deer park, the Central University (Ghudda) and directed the officials to speed up the pace of development.
During the visit, he laid the foundation stone of a Rs 1.5 crore worth urban health care centre at Paras Ram Nagar, also.
Further, he visited the bereaved family of a teacher, Sharan Deep Singh, and expressed grief over his demise.