Two days ago Kundan Singh of Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand had died in the Minto Bridge tragedy when the underpass was over filled with rain water several feet above the ground, which was not pumped out by the NDMC, MCD n Delhi government’s Flood control department etc whichever is the responsible authority, in time. Such serious tragedies should be avoided in future at all costs.
This tragic death was the result of the sheer negligence on the part of the above authorities who’d acted to pump out the logged water only after lots of hue n cry and sacrifice of late Kundan Singh a tempo driver, leaving behind a traumatic n anguished family of three, wife n two daughters.
The Delhi government has compensated his death by paying his family Rs 10 Lakh worth of monetary compensation, but no responsible officer was penalised for this serious lapse.
Such complacent lapses need to be investigated at all costs to fix responsibilities on the officers who’d been negligent to avert such tragedies.
The over logged water, several feet above the ground with silt n dirt was neither pumped out clearing the blocked drains etc not was the area barricaded or blocked restricting the vehicles to pass through such utterly dangerous restricted areas.
This is not a new problem. The entire Delhi gets jammed n becomes non functional during every monsoons, especially the New Delhi area governed by autonomous New Delhi Municipal Council being a VVIP n VIP Lutyen’s zone with no sign of any relief during monsoons despite allocation of huge budget.
The Delhi government’s flood control department n other concerned agencies including the MCD n NDMC have never coordinated their efforts to set right the situation permanently and avoid tragic deaths like that of tempo driver Kundan Singh at Minto Bridge valued at merely Rs. 10 Lakhs.
But what is more shameful is the fact that certain individuals and social organisations have started seeking cheap publicity claiming appreciations in social media for managing the meagre compensation to the bereaved family.
However, the fact of the matter is that what has been given to the deceased’s anguished family as financial compensation is not in commensurate to his untimely sad demise due to the lapse of the authorities concerned.
The Delhi government had in the recent past given compensation of One crore rupee to each of two deceased while in duty in Delhi police. WE HIGHLY appreciate the Delhi government gesture n salute to our Corona warriors n ex servicemen who met their sad end earlier.
But would it not have been laudable n justified had the NDMC or Delhi government under whose jurisdiction the Minto Bridge falls where poor n hapless tempo driver died unfortunately due to the alleged sheer negligence of those at the helm of the concerned departments, given a more enhanced amount to the bereaved family of deceased Kundan Singh, than merely Rs 10 Lakhs for which unfortunately rush of seeking credit is going on in the social media for the last two days.
The way n circumstances under which poor n helpless Kundan Singh met the sad end, his bereaved family actually earnestly deserves to be healthily compensated at least with a hefty amount including a government job to either his wife of daughter after attaining adulthood.
Since deceased Kundan Singh was not in government job and the aggrieved family has lost a sole bread earner for the family’s sustenance. The Delhi CM Arvind Kejrival is requested to kindly use his good offices to give a government job to a family member. His wife or daughter after attaining 18 years of age if she is below entitlement. He had been helping people in distress. Hope he’ll heed to this genuine request as well.
OM Shanti
The featured image is of NBT
