Srinagar, Mar 16: Jammu Kashmir Apni Party on Monday expressed deep shock and grief over the death of a youth namely Omar Abdullah Malik who was caught in ablaze while trying to save his neighbors in central Kashmir’s Budgam district three days ago and urged administration to provide ex-gratia relief to the fire affected families.
According the JKAP leader while visiting the affected families voiced his disappointment over the apathetic attitude of the administration saying that the affected families have neither been approached by any official from the district administration, neither has the police conducted any inquiry into the incident.
“I have been told that the gas cylinder used by the family of Ghulam-u-Din Bhat s/o Ghulam Mohammad Bhat r/o Wadwan Budgam was provided by Sona Traders Karan Nagar and the cylinder was defective. I have been told that the police is yet to register any case in the matter so far and neither any inquiry has been conducted into the mishap that resulted into death of a post graduate youth and severe injuries to five others,” the JKAP leader Muntazir Mohi-ud-din said in a statement.
He urged the Lieutenant Governor G C Murmu to intervene into the matter and take stern action for dereliction of duties.
“It is ironic that the district administration seems so much engrossed in some ‘highly important’ issues that loss of a precious life and five men being in critical condition hardly mattered to it. This is why no ex-gratia relief has been extended to the two fire affected families who are living under open sky for the last four days,” he added.
JKAP leader demanded that the police should take cognizance of the matter and conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter. “The police should conduct the probe into the circumstances which led to the explosion and taken the same to logical conclusion in a time bound manner.”
He said that the fire affected families told him that the gas cylinder used for the first time by the affected family was defective. “I am told that there was leakage in that sealed cylinder which was used by the family and as some family member started ignition, the cylinder exploded resulting into massive fire. Under company rules, HPCL through its gas agency is bound to pay compensation to the affected families,” he further said.
He also demanded immediate relief from the government for the five men namely Khurshid Ahmad Najar, Showkat Ahmad Bhat, Dost Mohammad Mir, Abdul Rehman Bhat and Hilal Ahmad Bhat who sustained severe injuries during the incident. (KNS)
JKAP visits fire affected families in Budgam
