People's Democracy

Delhi Slum Fire: CPI(M)

Demands Govt Help For Victims

THE CPI(M) Delhi state committee expressed its deep sorrow at the death of seven people in a fire in a jhuggi cluster on the Yamuna Pushta near Shakarpur on April 4. It extended its heartfelt condolences to the next of the kin of the bereaved.

A team of the CPI(M), comprising Mohan Lal, state secretariat member, I S Biltoria, secretary of the East Delhi Party committee and Anurag Saxena,  state committee member, visited the jhuggi cluster on April 5 and as per their report over 1500 jhuggis were gutted in the fire rendering thousands of poor people homeless. The relief efforts of the government are woefully inadequate, felt the CPI(M) team in a statement. Only 500 tents have been provided as temporary shelters and no arrangements have been made for providing food to those rendered homeless. "This reflects an official mindset, which places little premium on suffering of the poorest of poor of Delhi’s citizens", it stated.

The CPI(M) made the following demands from the government:

1.     Pay Rs 2 lakh as compensation to each of the families of the deceased.

2.     Ensure payment of Rs 50,000 per head to those seriously injured and bear the entire cost of their treatment.

3.     Set up temporary kitchens to provide food for the fire-affected people.

4.     Take adequate measures to rehabilitate all those who have lost their homes and belongings.

(INN)