The Akhilesh Government which is facing brickbats over its handling of Muzaffarnagar riots has decided to hike the compensation to the family members of the deceased to Rs 15 lakh each.
It is believed that Government was forced to take this decision following demands from different political parties. According to an official statement the government has hiked the compensation to Rs 15 lakhs from existing Rs 10 lakh. The critical injured would be given Rs one lakh and the minor injured would get Rs 20,000. The government also ordered free treatment of all the injured in the government hospitals. A total of 49 people including 39 in Muzaffarnagar have been killed in the riots while 62 others were injured.
UP government had already provided Rs 15 lakhs compensation to the journalist Rajesh Verma died in the violence. Centre has separately given Rs 10 lakh to the family of Verma. Meanwhile, the state government has sanctioned Rs 50,000 for treatment of a girl Azra, admitted to the AIIMS, New Delhi. Azra was critically injured in the clash at Faguna village in Shamli district. Meanwhile, SP spokesm,an Rajendra Chaudhry said that Chief Minister has proved his administrative acumen by restoring peace in the riot-torn western UP within two days.
In a statement issued here on Tuesday Chaudhry, who is also Food and Civil Supplies Minister in the Akhilesh Yadav Government said that opposition parties particularly BSP, BJP and RlD have connived against the SP Government and are spreading canard. “These parties are using this issue to gain political mileage,” he said but kept mum over the role of Congress. Incidentally, Urban Development Minister Md Azam Khan had questioned visit of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to Muzaffarnagar. Please do not read politics in the statement, said Chaudhry.