Expressing deep shock and anguish over the tragic accident at Gurdwara Manikaran Sahib in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday announced Rs1 lakh ex-gratia grant each to the next of kin of the deceased, Rs25,000 for seriously injured. Besides, the Chief Minister announced that the State Government would bear the entire expenditure for the treatment of injured.
In a catastrophic incident, seven people were killed and several others were trapped after a giant rock boulder hit the sacred Gurdwara complex at Manikaran sahib in Kullu district of the hill state.
Expressing profound grief and sorrow over the disastrous accident, Badal shared his heartfelt sympathies with the members of the bereaved families and prayed to the Almighty to give them courage to bear this irreparable loss in the hour of
crisis and grant peace to the departed souls.
Badal, who had a telephonic conversation with his Himachal Pradesh counterpart Virbhadra Singh on Tuesday evening, assured him of full and immediate help from the state government in rescue operations. He also urged Singh to extend all possible help to the pilgrims stranded in and around Gurdwara complex at Manikaran Sahib and also impressed upon him to instruct Kullu district administration to gear up the rescue machinery.
Deputy Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal, who has been personally reviewing the situation, directed the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Avtar Singh Makkar to immediately
send a team to assess the damage caused to the Gurdwara complex for undertaking repair and reconstruction of the damaged portion expeditiously.
SGPC would also ensure langar (community kitchen) for the pilgrims, which has been badly disrupted due to this incident.
The state Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal is in constant touch with Kullu Deputy Commissioner to keep a close tab on the situation.
Kullu DC has informed that seven persons have died and 11 injured, of which two severely injured, have been shifted to Chandigarh’s PGIMER and remaining has been sent to Kullu Civil Hospital for treatment.
As per the list provided by him, seven persons belonging to Rogla Tarwa Mandi village in Sangrur district have died.
On the Chief Minister’s directions, the state government has also dispatched a high-level rescue team to oversee evacuation of the
pilgrims stranded at Manikaran Sahib.
As per the orders, a team, headed by Special Secretary (Revenue) Dilraj Singh and Inspector General of Police Gautam Cheema, has been rushed to oversee the evacuation of the aforesaid stranded pilgrims. The team, comprising of officers of Civil and Police administration besides doctors and para medical staff, has been directed to coordinate with the Himachal government with immediate effect to carry out rescue operations.
Besides, a round-the-clock control room has been set up at Punjab Civil Secretariat to review the situation. The next of the kin of deceased and other family members of the stranded pilgrims could contact at the control room with telephone numbers 0172-2740859 and 0172-2740397.
Meanwhile, Punjab BJP president Kamal Sharma also expressed his deep condolences. He said that the Punjab Government has immediately stepped in to find out whereabouts of the pilgrims belonging to the state and entire government stands with the families who lost their kin in the tragedy.
“Both Punjab and Himachal government have started working jointly to provide relief to the calamity-hit pilgrims,” he said while praying for the peace to the departed souls.
Also expressing grief over the tragedy, Congress Deputy leader in the lok Sabha Capt Amarinder Singh expressed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. He also prayed for safe and speedy recovery of the injured.
Capt Amarinder has appealed to the Himachal Pradesh government to ensure adequate medical treatment to the injured. He also inquired about the relief and rescue operations taking place there.