Statesman News Service
KALIMPONG, April 17. — “We do not want assurances,” said members of the Kalimpong Nagarik Suruksha Samiti (KNSS), demanding that the affected families of the Nepali new year accident victims should immediately be compensated. A fire tender had rammed into three persons on that day. All of them were killed on the spot while four others were injured.
This statement by members of the KNSS has come in response to the fax by the director-general of fire services late Friday on the demands placed by the GNLF branch committee for the affected families. In regard to compensation, the director-general has assured to place the matter with the state government.
“We are grateful that the assurance lifted the strike which had been causing irritation to the people. However, if things are to be dealt with practically, immediate relief should be given to the affected families as all of them are poor, coordinator of KNSS, Mrs Jyoti Karkee, said.
“Not only the vehicle would have been burnt but also the driver thrashed. But our people were innocent enough to take care of the driver. Hence, the fire services should consider this incident as a normal accident,” she said.
KNSS members have also approached the SDO requesting him for some sort of a relief measure for the families concerned. “The SDO has called us tomorrow as, accordingly to him, something could certainly be granted from the DM Fund,” a senior member of KNSS said.
Besides asking the DGHC for relief, the KNSS said they would send a fax to the chief minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, tomorrow through the SDO. “Perhaps the CM can do something at the moment from the relief fund,” Mrs Karkee said.
KNSS will ask the local MLA, Mr Goulen Lepcha, for grant of jobs to the families. “Being the MLA, he is the most appropriate person to look into this matter. We hope that we will surely do something,” said Mrs Karkee.