The Hindu : New Delhi News : Insure slum dwellers: BJP

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Friday, Jan 27, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Insure slum dwellers: BJP

Staff Reporter

`Immediately rehabilitate those displaced in Wednesday's fire'

NEW DELHI: Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party president Harsh Vardhan has demanded immediate rehabilitation of those displaced and adequate compensation for the next of kin of the three killed and others injured in the Yamuna Pushta fire at Geeta Colony on Wednesday.

He also demanded that the Delhi Government get all slum dwellers of the Capital insured free of cost.

Following a visit to the area, Dr. Vardhan said immediate arrangements should be made for supply of tents, blankets, light, medicine, water, food-stuffs, utensils and clothes to those affected so that the people do that fall ill in the severe cold conditions.

As about 400 jhuggis were gutted in the fire, he said urgent steps were needed to rehabilitate the affected.

Since the fire had left three persons dead and many seriously injured, the BJP leader also came down heavily on the Delhi Government for not doing enough to prevent the incident. "Year after years such incidents take place, people lose their lives, many are injured and properties worth lakhs are lost but still the Delhi Government is sitting idle."

Recalling how following a major fire in Yamuna Pushta near the Old Yamuna Bridge about six years ago Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had constituted a committee under the leadership of Finance Minister A.K. Walia to suggest measures for preventing such incidents of fire and also to suggest ways and means for disaster management, he said no one knows what the panel had suggested.

Pointing out that the summer months, when the number of fire incidents goes up, were drawing near, Dr. Vardhan demanded that the Delhi Government take effective steps to prevent fires in the hot and dry conditions.

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