Other States - Rajasthan   

Congress blames Raje Govt. for accident

JAIPUR: Congress General Secretary Ashok Gehlot has held the “inadequate” arrangements on the part of the State authorities for transporting pilgrims to the Ramdeora mela site in Jaisalmer responsible for the turbo-trawler accident which claimed 86 lives in Rajsamand district in Rajasthan on Friday night.

In a statement condoling the deaths, Mr.Gehlot said over the weekend that if the Government had made proper arrangements for the pilgrims the rural people would not have resorted to traveling by a trawler, quite an unusual mode of transport in this part of the State. He demanded a relief of Rs.1 lakh each to the kin of the victims, instead of the Rs.50, 000 announced by the State Government.

A Congress delegation led by AICC secretary K.B.Krishnamoorthi and Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president B.D.Kalla had left for the accident site on Saturday. They are scheduled to visit the injured in the hospitals in Ajmer, Pali and Rajsamand and tour the villages, Simal, Madri and others in Rajsamand district from where most of the victims hailed.

Transport Minister Yunus Khan, who convened a meeting of Home and Transport Secretary V.S.Singh and Transport Commissioner Jagdish Chandra to review the situation arising out of the tragic accident, announced a campaign from September 9 to 22 to ensure safety on roads during the Ramdeora mela. Mr.Khan, who expressed his grief over the tragedy, said he strongly felt that it was time the State constituted the proposed “Road safety fund” with an initial amount of Rs.50 crore.

The Transport Department also ordered the suspension of Rajsamand district transport officer Mannalal Rawat. The regional transport officer, Mukul Raj, who visited the accident site found “prima facie supervisory negligence” on the part of the DTO. The accident site, 9 kms from the Charbhuja police station and 23 kms from the check post at Gomti Chouraha on the National Highway, did not have any check post of the Transport Department, it was pointed out.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Congress blames Raje Govt. for accident
Chittaurgarh gets literacy award
Prestigious appointment for Jaipur doctor
Ex-Armymen to guard Rajasthan forests

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu