The Hindu : Front Page : Terrorists will not succeed: PM

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Tuesday, Jul 29, 2008
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Terrorists will not succeed: PM

Manas Dasgupta

Manmohan visits blast-hit areas and injured in Ahmedabad

AHMEDABAD: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday expressed the resolve that attempts by terrorists to destroy the country’s social fabric, undermine the communal harmony and demoralise the people would never succeed.

While promising all central assistance to Gujarat to trace the perpetrators of the Saturday serial blasts and defeat the destructive forces, he said all political parties, central and State government agencies, the police and the intelligence authorities and social groups should cooperate to achieve this objective.

Dr. Singh, accompanied by United Progressive Alliance chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Ms. Gandhi’s political advisor Ahmed Patel, arrived here in the afternoon for a brief visit to some of the blast-hit areas and hospitals to meet the injured.

For about two-and-half hours, Dr. Singh and others visited the trauma centre of the Government Civil Hospital, where 23 people were killed in an explosion, the municipal corporation-run L. G. hospital and the V. S. hospital. He spoke to over 30 patients and enquired about their well-being.

Dr. Singh was shown the blast site at Jawahar Chowk in the Maninagar locality before he and other leaders returned to Delhi in the evening. Chief Minister Narendra Modi accompanied Dr. Singh throughout the visit and briefed him on Saturday’s carnage.

Ms Gandhi, guided by Union Textiles Minister Shankarsinh Waghela and State Congress president Sidhhartha Patel, moved among patients and enquired about their well-being.

Many of the patients were touched as both Mr. Singh and Ms. Gandhi shook hands with them or patted them expressing their sympathy.

Compensation

Before returning to Delhi, Dr. Singh announced an ex gratia of Rs.3.5 lakh to the next of the kin of those killed and Rs. 50,000 to each of the injured.

This, he said, would be in addition to the Rs. 1 lakh compensation to the families of the dead and Rs 50,000 to the injured he announced from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund on Sunday.

The State government had declared a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh each to the families of those killed and Rs 50,000 to each injured besides bearing the entire cost of their treatment.

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