The Hindu : Front Page : Homage to martyrs in Parliament attack

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Friday, Dec 14, 2007
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Homage to martyrs in Parliament attack

Special Correspondent

Petroleum Minister Murli Deora denies delay in the allotment of petrol pumps to their families

— Photos: R.V. Moorthy

Remembering heroes: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pays homage to those killed in the Parliament attack of 2001, in New Delhi on Thursday. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani is present. (Right) Vimla Devi, wife of ASI Nanak Chand, who was killed in the attack, complains about non-receipt of relief to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil.

NEW DELHI: Vice-President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday led the nation in paying homage to those who sacrificed their lives while defending Parliament during the terrorist attack on December 13, 2001.

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Rahman Khan, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani, and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh also paid floral tributes to the martyrs at a ceremony held in the Parliament House.

Several other dignitaries, including many MPs, were present.

A blood donation camp was organised at the Parliament House by the Indian Red Cross Society to mark the occasion.

No wrongdoing: Deora

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Murli Deora has denied any wrongdoing or delay in the allotment of petrol pumps to the families of the martyrs, asserting that there was no mala fide of any kind.

Ganga Devi, wife of Delhi Police Assistant Sub-Inspector Nanak Chand, complained in the presence of Dr. Singh and other dignitaries that she was yet to get land for a petrol pump, allotted to her as part of compensation. The dignitaries had to face an embarrassing situation.

Later, Mr. Deora said his Ministry had always accorded the topmost priority to providing relief to the families of the victims. Three retail outlets were commissioned in 2003, one in 2006 and four this year. The outlet allotted to Ms. Ganga Devi was commissioned on January 25, and it was functioning smoothly. The monthly sales were 40 kilolitres of petrol and 150 kilolitres of diesel, and she had not approached Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited officials with any problem so far.

“I have personally reviewed the progress of commissioning of the retail outlets and have also taken up the matter with the Chief Ministers of the States for allotment of land. We have been able to provide relief to the families of terrorist victims. We have gone to the extent of accommodating their requests for choice of location which, in some cases, has resulted in extending the date of commissioning,” he added.

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