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Migrant labourers’ train accident: PM approves Rs 2 lakh compensation for kins

The compensation will be given from the PM National Relief Fund, sources told The Indian Express. Those with serious injuries will be given Rs 50,000 each.

The PMO has sought names of the next of kin of the deceased as well as those injured from the Railways. The PM had offered similar ex-gratia to the next of kin to the 40 who were mowed down by a train near Amritsar in 2018.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the 16 migrant labourers killed after being run over by a goods train on May 8 near Aurangabad.

The compensation will be given from the PM National Relief Fund, sources told The Indian Express. Those with serious injuries will be given Rs 50,000 each.

The 16 migrants from Madhya Pradesh in Maharashtra were walking home along the track and had stopped to take rest. As per initial probe, they had apparently drifted off to sleep on the track thinking it was safe since train services were suspended due to lockdown. However, a goods train ran them over at around 5.22 AM. While 14 died on the spot, two others succumbed to serious injury. They were part of a group of 20 headed to villages Shahdol and Umaria. They were working in Jalna near Aurangabad, Maharashtra.

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The Railways had not granted ex-gratia to the victims’ families since it was regarded as a case of “infringement” in its right of way, as per rules. The train driver had apparently honked after seeing the migrants sleeping on the track but it was too late to stop the rain, initial inquiry by Railways indicated. The matter, however, was sent to the PMO for ex-gratia from the PM’s relief fund.

The PMO has sought names of the next of kin of the deceased as well as those injured from the Railways. The PM had offered similar ex-gratia to the next of kin to the 40 who were mowed down by a train near Amritsar in 2018. Then, too, Railways had not paid from its coffers.

Festive offer

Following the mishap, Railways has alerted all its zones to watch out for migrants walking along the tracks and initimate nearest stations immediately. Migrants walking along the tracks, officials said, has become a common sight across railway zones. Some zones have imposed speed restrictions on goods and parcel trains in certain stretches to avoid repeat of such mishaps.

First uploaded on: 12-05-2020 at 19:40 IST
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