Tripura govt disburses compensation to chariot victims’ families
Agartala, July 4 : Tripura government has handed over the disbursement order of Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of each of the seven deceased in the tragic incident of electrocution in a chariot during the celebration of the Chariot Festival at Kumarghat in Unokoti district on June 28 last, the government statement said on Tuesday.
Labour and Social Welfare Minister Tinku Roy, along with the officials of the district administration, visited the victims’ houses separately and handed over the sanctioned memo as announced by Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha immediately after the incident.
“Rs 3.90 lakh will be directly transferred to the respective bank accounts of the next of kin of the deceased, and the sub-divisional administration has provided the families Rs 10,000 in cash to each of the victims after the incident,’ the statement said.
Moreover, Rs 2 lakh as ex gratia to the deceased family and Rs 50,000 to each of the injured persons from the PM Relief Fund declared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reach the victims very soon,” Roy told the media.
The Chief Minister had announced assistance and ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased, Rs 2.5 lakh to each injured person with more than 60% injuries, and Rs 74,000 to each injured person with 40 to 60% injuries, with free medical treatment for all injured persons.
At least seven people, including three children, died on the spot, and 20 others were seriously injured after a chariot caught fire touching a high-voltage electricity line on the National Highway during the procession of Phera Rath, symbolising the return of Lord Jagannath in the chariot.
While the opposition demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident, blaming a local BJP MLA for forcing the unauthorised movement of the chariot on the highway, the Tripura government ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident.
The Tripura State Electricity Corporation has also been conducting a separate probe.
The Brother of a victim lodged an FIR against the organiser of the procession, but nobody has been questioned yet.
