Blast victims being neglected: Somaiya

Mumbai, Aug 7 (UNI) Former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya today alleged that the injured in the 7/11 blast victim had to suffer humiliation and many of them were denied proper medical treatment.

Mr Somaiya will present a booklet - ''Story of Humiliation, Suffering and Treatment - Tale of 100 Injured Patients'', that provides a glimpse of the sufferings of the 7/11 blast victims to Minister of State at the PMO Prithviraj Chavan tomorrow.

Despite all assurances, the victims have not received the assistance that they had been promised, Mr Somaiya alleged and said the Railways had borne the medical treatment of only 69 injured.

He said the Centre and the State governments were giving totally misleading figures on the casualties and injured. The State Government says 840 people were injured and 187 died, but the railway authorities are stating that only 449 people were injured in the blasts, Mr Somaiya said.

He alleged than less that 50 per cent of the people have received the ex-gratia payment as announced by the Government. The injured are being forced to pay for their own medical treatment. Mr Somaiya has threatened to stage an indefinite ''dharna'' before the office of the Western Railway general manager at Churchgate here if the grievances of the blast victims were not attended to.

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