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Gloom in House
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 14
Touched by the grave rail tragedy that claimed several lives near Mukerian, members of the Punjab Assembly today observed a two-minute silence in the House and expressed their sympathies with the families of the departed souls.

Cutting across party lines, members in the House also requested the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, to extend all possible help to the injured. In fact the rail accident filled the atmosphere with gloom in the House on the opening day of the winter session of the Assembly.

Within a few seconds of the arrival in the House, Capt Amarinder Singh informed the House about the rail accident. He told the House that he had got information that as many as 50 passengers died and several others injured in the accident. He requested the House to observe a two-minute silence in memory of the deceased. He immediately left the House to proceed to the site of the accident. The Speaker, Dr Kewal Krishan, also left with him. The accident site falls in the Assembly constituency of the Speaker.

Later, Deputy Chief Minister, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal expressed deep grief over the rail tragedy. The leader of the Opposition, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, expressing sorrow over the tragedy said that the government should provide free treatment to the injured and extend all help for the transportation of the bodies to the native places of the deceased. Similar sentiments were expressed by Mr Tikshan Sud, a BJP MLA, and Mr Sucha Singh Chottepur, an independent MLA.

The House also paid tributes to Mr Jagir Sigh Dard, a former MP, Mr Hans Raj Sharma, a former minister, Mr Surinderpal Singh, Mrs Roop Rani, both former MLAs, Mr Harbans Singh, former Chief Justice, Mr Baldev Sahai, Giani Kashmir Singh, Mr Surjit Singh, Mr Kultar Singh, all freedom fighters, Mr Harbhajan Singh Yogi, Mr Sarwan Singh Bir and Mr Surjan Singh Thekedar. They passed away in the recent months. The House remembered the contribution made by them in various spheres of life.

Directive to civil surgeons

Mr Darbara Singh Guru, Managing Director of the Punjab Health Systems Corporation and Secretary of the Health Department, said today that civil surgeons posed in Nawanshahr, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar and other nearby districts had been directed to rush to the various hospitals where injured in the rail accident have been admitted. He said that at the state headquarters a senior officer had been asked to coordinate with various doctors and civil surgeons to provide best medical facilities to the injured.

Rodrigues shocked
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 14
Punjab Governor General (retired) S.F. Rodrigues today expressed shock and grief over the loss of lives in the train accident in Hoshiarpur district. Describing the accident as unfortunate and tragic, the Governor expressed his heartfelt sympathies with the bereaved families.

He also called upon non-government organisations, besides individual philanthropists, to come forward for supplementing the efforts being made at the government level in helping the injured and giving assistance to the relatives of the victims.