Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 14

The kin of victims of Amritsar train tragedy have urged Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to provide government jobs as per the decision taken during the Cabinet meeting in March this year.

In a letter to the CM, they said they have lost their bread earners in the tragedy that claimed over 50 lives while watching the Dasehra festival on the railway track near Jaura Phatak railway crossing on October 19 in 2018. A ray of hope emerged among victims’ families after the state Cabinet’s approval to offer jobs to the next of the victims’ kin. Jobs were assured to 34 eligible family members.

In the letter, the kin of the victims alleged that even after over two months, they have received no communication from the government, while the district administration also failed to give any information regarding this. They urged the CM to give them jobs assured by the government, as their economic conditions had deteriorated during the pandemic followed by lockdown restrictions.

Deepak Kumar, who lost his father and uncle in the tragedy, pointed out that the government should not delay in clearing the formalities.

The Centre and the state had given an ex-gratia of Rs2 lakh and Rs5 lakh, respectively, but the affected family members alleged that the amount could hardly secure their future.

An FIR was registered against unidentified people. However, no arrests were made. Lately, a departmental action was taken against two civic officials for negligence.