PHAGWARA: Even after eighteen years, the state government has failed to release the full compensation announced for the next of kin of the four victims of the November 23, 2006, train mishap near Gumtala village.
Four girls were killed when their vehicle was hit by a train on the Phillaur- Nurmahal rail section near Gumtala village on November 23, 2006.
Aashia of class XI, Daljinder Kaur of BA-I, and Kiranjit Kaur of BA-III, all residents of Pasla village, were killed on the spot. Rajvir Kaur of Gumtali village succumbed to her injuries on December 14, 2006. They were students of PTM Arya College, Nurmahal.
The government had announced Rs 5 Lakh each for the deceased's kin and Rs 50, 000 for the families of the injured. The government had handed over Rs 1 Lakh to families of the deceased. An amount of Rs 20, 000 was given to the kin of the seriously injured victims. The families say they have approached the authorities time and again over the past eighteen
years, but to no avail.
Locals say that during the Vidhan Sabha elections, SAD-BJP Congress, and APP leaders had promised that the compensation would be paid immediately after the formation of their government, but to no avail.
College managing committee chairman Om Parkash Kundi urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to release the amount without further delay.