416 blast victims waiting for medical assistance: Somaiya

Mumbai, June 20 (UNI) Senior BJP leader Kirit Somaiya today said 416 victims out of total 1,077 in the July 11 serial train bomb blasts that occurred in the city last year are still to receive medical aid and financial compensation from the government.

''Because of red-tapism and apathy of political leaders, 125 victims are yet to receive hearing aids, families of six deceased victims have not received financial compensation from Maharashtra government till date,'' Mr Somaiya alleged while speaking to reporters here today.

He urged the state and Central governments to extend a healing touch and complete relief and rehabilitation task of 1,077 victims before its first anniversary.

He said the Central government, Railway Ministry, Railway and Medical Board's had declared that 551 people suffered major injuries, while the state government maintained that only 470 were injured.

Mr Somaiya said in response to the RTI petition, the state government has accepted that ex-gratia financial compensation has been given to 751 victims, including kin of 180 dead, while the Railways have paid to 1058 victims, including kin of 186 dead.

He said they had surveyed 100 victims and found four required artificial limbs, while 19 hearing aids. Sixteen have not been paid single paisa as ex-gratia by the state government, while 15 were not paid by the Railways for their medical bills and out of 24 eligible persons applied for job in railway, only one has got appointment.

The BJP leader further said that of 100 victims, 17 have been paid Rs 50,000 as compensation by the Railways for minor injury, but the state government rejected to pay a single paisa to six of them, while the injury sustained by 11 victims has been declared as minor injury by the state government and collectors, and paid only Rs 5,000 as compensation.

He said as per the Railway board's decision, kin of the dead or permanently disabled victims are eligible for employment in the Railway. But out of 235 eligible persons, only 15 have been offered jobs.

UNI