Vaishakh Krushna Trutiya
Updates
- Godhra package discriminatory, says Gujarat (23 May 08)
- Centre to give 330 crore ruppes to Gujrat Riot victims (22 May 08)
Godhra package discriminatory, says Gujarat
May 23, 2008
Vaishakh Krushna Trutiya
Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government on Thursday alleged the relief package announced by the Centre for the 2002 post-Godhra riot victims "has political overtones and is discriminatory in nature".
Opposition Congress hailed the package, saying finally justice has been done.
"The package announced by the Centre for the riot victims has political overtones, as this has been announced when Parliament elections are approaching," government spokesperson and Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas said.
"The UPA government’s intentions are not right as they could have done this much earlier. They could have announced this decision a week after they gave compensation to anti-Sikh riot victims," Vyas said.
"I would further say this package is discriminatory. Between the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and 2002 Godhra riots, many riots have taken place in the country. Why such kind of compensation has not been given to the other riot victims," Vyas asked.
"Does the nation have a policy to compensate family of those killed in terrorist attacks," Vyas asked.
The UPA government should declare the compensation to the family of victims of all the terrorist attacks, he demanded.
"Why are Akshardham victim not included in the riot compensation package as the attack had direct relation to the 2002 riots. Same type of package should also be given to the family of victims of recent Jaipur serial blasts," Vyas said.
Source: www.rediff.com
Centre to give 330 crore ruppes to Gujrat Riot victims
May 22, 2008
Vaishakh Krushna Dwitiya
New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday announced an over Rs 330 crore relief package for the victims of the 2002 post-Godhra riots in Gujarat. (Why Central Government needed 6 years for giving relief fund? – Editor)
A meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh approved a proposal for payment of additional ex-gratia to the victims as also towards damaged residential properties and uninsured commercial property.
The compensation package for Gujarat riot victims will keep them on par with the measures taken in respect of victims of the anti-Sikh riots in 1984.
The next of kin of 1,169 people killed in the riots would be paid Rs 3.5 lakh ex-gratia in addition to the amount paid by the state government, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said after the Cabinet meeting in the capital.
This would amount to an additional liability of Rs 40.91 crore to the exchequer, he said.
A sum of Rs 1.25 lakh would also be paid to each of the 2,548 people injured after deducting the amount already paid to them by the state government, Chidambaram said, adding this would cost the central exchequer Rs 29.64 crore.
The victims, whose residential properties had been damaged, would get an additional ex-gratia of ten times the amount given by the state government after excluding the amount already paid by the state. The additional liability on this count would come to Rs 262.44 crore, he said.
The Gujarat government had paid Rs 30.10 crore for damage to residential properties.
The Cabinet also gave its approval for grant of additional ex-gratia for damage to uninsured commercial and industrial properties, Chidambaram said.
In these cases, the ex-gratia would be ten times the amount given by the state government, deducting the amount already paid, he said.
"Data on uninsured commercial properties are being collected and it may not be possible to give the quantum of funds required. But the intention is to give some compensation to the uninsured commercial properties which were damaged," the Minister said.
Replying to questions on the list of victims, Chidambaram said, "these are the agreed figures. The list is in respect of which compensation has been paid by the state government."
Source: www.expressindia.com
