Paswan urges PM to provide relief to victims of Vaishali boat traged

New Delhi, Sep 4 (UNI) Lok Janshakti Party President and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to provide a liberal relief package to the families of those killed in the recent boat tragedy in Vaishali district of Bihar.

Mr Paswan today met the Prime Minister and apprised him of the tragedy in which 50 people lost their lives as a boat carrying 72 passengers capsized in the Ganga river in Vaishali district of Bihar on August 31. Till now only 19 bodies have been recovered.

Mr Paswan, who visited the site and interacted with the families of the victims, requested the Prime Minister to provide a package which should include a house to the each of the victims' families under Indira Awas Yojna, liberal financial assistance to them.

He also demanded a permanent arrangement for government run steamer service in the river as there was little or no regulation of water transport service in the area due to which such incidents keep recurring at regular intervals during the monsoon season causing loss of precious lives. He also said affected families, which are very poor, are shocked and devastated due to the tragic incident and the relief package promised by the state governemnt is widely perceived to be inadequate.

The Prime Minister assured the LJP leader that the central government would consider his request.

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