The death of 39 Indians in Iraq has given birth to an unsavoury controversy back home on providing succour to their family. In favour of providing them compensation, Punjab legislators on Thursday sparred over the issue while putting the ball in each other’s court.
Even as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) demanded Rs1 crore compensation and a Government job for the families of IS victims, the ruling Congress and the SAD-BJP combine indulged in passing-the-ball game.
Even as the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh promised adequate compensation by the State Government to the affected families, he reiterated his demand for the Centre to also recompense them since the tragedy had occurred overseas.
SAD MlA Bikram Majithia maintained that considering the sensitivity of the matter, the State Government should provide whatever help it can provide to the families, instead of asking the Centre to do so.
Congress MlA Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi suggested that all MlAs, transcending party lines, should approach the Central Government to seek Rs1 crore compensation and a central Government job for each of the families.
“let’s all go together,” Sodhi asked Majithia and other members of the Opposition who have been accusing the Congress Government for passing the buck to the Centre on the sensitive issue.
Requesting all members for not indulging in politics over the issue, Congress MlA Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon suggested that while the state government was doing everything for the welfare of the bereaved families, the Centre also had a responsibility towards them.
After this, SAD MlA Majithia pointed out to the Chief Minister that Rs20,000 financial assistance, provided to the families of Iraq victims, has not been paid by the Government since past six months and the same should be released as soon as possible.
He also sought clarification from the government that till what time and on what conditions the same would continue for these affected families.
Taking serious note of the same, the Chief Minister later ordered immediate release of Rs20,000 as monthly pension to each of the bereaved families for February and March 2018, waiving off the condition of quarterly payouts.
He has also asked the Deputy Commissioners to disburse the pension amount immediately.
At the same time, Capt Amarinder dismissed as “false” Majithia’s allegation that the families had not been paid compensation by the State Government for the past six months. He said that the payment had been made till January 31, 2018, as of March 21.
With the release of the next two months’ pension, the payment was now completely up to date, he added.
Talking to the mediapersons at the State Assembly, Capt Amarinder clarified that the State government had been paying the monthly pension to 24 families, of which it so far had information.
As per the information received from the Union Ministry of External Affairs, there are 27 victims from Punjab, of whom 11 hailed from Majha region and 11 from Doaba, with the remaining were from other parts of the state.
Earlier, the issue was raised by the leader of Opposition Sukhpal Khaira during the zero hour demanding adequate financial assistance to the next of the kin of the bereaved families.
Chief Minister had then informed the House that all criteria for compensation in such matters would be duly followed by his Government.
“The Government would not indulge in any politics or arguments with the Centre on grant of compensation, but it is the Central Government’s responsibility also to provide financial assistance since the killings took place outside the country,” he said.
He also informed the House that the mortal remains of the victims would take some time to reach India as there were some legal issues, which the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) was trying to sort out with the authorities in Mosul.
Capt Amarinder said that he was in constant touch with the External Affairs Minister in this regard and had been told that the bodies of the ill-fated Punjabis would land at Amritsar Airport once the requisite formalities are completed by the Mosul authorities in Iraq by this week.
He said that the coffins with the remains of the deceased would be received at the Airport by the State Government, with full respect and honour, before being handed over to the respective families for the last rites.