Govt will pay for treatment, say Punjab ministers after meeting injured workers; announce Rs 2 lakh aid to kin of deceased

Sangrur, Oct 19 (IANS) After an out-of-control car left eight VB-G RAM G workers dead and 12 others injured, Punjab Cabinet Ministers Harpal Singh Cheema and Barinder Kumar Goyal met the victims at the hospitals where they are being treated. Cheema said the Punjab government would bear the entire cost of the medical treatment of the injured labourers and would provide financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to the family of each deceased worker.

In a shocking incident, eight workers, including six women, were killed and 12 others were injured after a speeding car ploughed into a group of workers taking a break along the Jakhal-Lehra road near Alisher village in Punjab’s Sangrur district on Sunday evening.

The injured workers are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Sangrur and Patiala. According to officials, seven injured workers are being treated at the Civil Hospital in Sangrur, while four others are admitted to Rajindra Hospital in Patiala.

After meeting the victims, Cheema said their health conditions were generally stable and that doctors had indicated they would require another four to five days of treatment.

He assured the injured workers and their families that the Punjab government would bear the entire cost of their medical treatment.

Expressing grief over the deaths, Cheema also announced that the state government would provide financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to the family of each deceased worker.

Cheema said, "Today, we met the injured people, and their health conditions are generally stable. The doctor has said that they need 4-5 more days to be treated. All the expenses of the treatment will be borne by the Punjab government.”

“The government will give Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased,” Chima said while expressing his sorrow over the deaths.

Goyal described the incident as tragic, saying the victims were poor labourers who had been working under the VB-G RAM G with hopes and expectations of earning a livelihood.

Goyal added that the administration had been actively responding to the incident since Sunday evening. He said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who is currently in France, had called him to enquire about the situation and had directed the government to stand by the affected families.

"The entire administration is actively working on the matter since last evening. CM Bhagwant Mann has gone to France. He called me from there. We are standing with the people who lost their loved ones," he said.

Meanwhile, Punjab Congress President Pargat Singh also expressed grief over the incident, calling it deeply tragic. He urged people to remain composed and exercise restraint in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla, meanwhile, questioned the response of those seeking to visit the affected area, arguing that the situation and the challenges faced by the administration should already be known to those in positions of responsibility.

Referring to security concerns in Punjab, Aujla said the International Border was only around 50 kms away and raised concerns over the alleged cross-border movement of drones, drugs and narcotics, as well as attacks on police personnel.

He said authorities should first take cognisance of such issues before visiting victims to offer condolences.

The incident has prompted visits by state ministers and political leaders, with the government assuring financial and medical assistance to the affected families.

--IANS

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