Forensic reports yet to come, Baddi fire victims’ kin await compensation

The kin of the nine fire victims who had been charred to death at Jharmajri in an industrial fire in Baddi on February 2 are yet to get the promised Rs 6.5 lakh relief from the state government.

Nine workers had died after a massive fire had gutted a perfume manufacturing unit, N R Aromas , at Jharmajri on February 2. The body of a victim could not be identified due to the severe burn injuries. The search and rescue teams had recovered charred limbs, which could have belonged to one or more workers who were believed to be inside the factory when the fire broke out.

“Since the postmortem report had not mentioned the cause of death, it was supposed to be ascertained from the report of the state forensic science and central forensic science laboratory,” informed a victim’s kin. Combustion of several chemicals used in the factory had led to the fire, hence the cause of the death could not be ascertained by the police. “In the absence of these reports the field staff of the revenue department was unable to fill the cause of death in the applications for applying for the due compensation before the SDM Nalagarh,” rued the kin.

“A sum of Rs 4 lakh will be granted to the family of each victim by the SDM office . No application has been received for claiming this amount and we will disburse the amount as soon as we get the applications. Our field staff has been directed to assist the victim families to complete the formalities,” said SDM Nalagarh Divyanshi Singhal.

Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu had announced Rs 6.5 lakh each for the families of the deceased during his visit to Baddi on February 8. Apart from Rs 25,000 extended to each victim’s family, no other compensation has been received by the families of the victims. The officials ,however, have no clue as to where the remaining Rs 2.5 lakh as announced by the CM was supposed to be granted. Since the victims were migrants no hue and cry has been raised by the politicians to press for an early compensation. The families had left for their native place after spending a few days at Baddi after the mishap in the hope that the postmortem reports would be completed after the forensic science reports are submitted. Reshma from Bareilly whose daughter Rehnuma died in the incident, Rajveer from Badaun whose daughter Kajal are among the victims’ families who have been running from pillar to post to get compensation.

Similar was the plight of victim Kajal Bharti’s brother Durgesh from Kushinagar, victim Rakhi’s father Prem Singh from Sambhal and victim Shashi’s father Naresh from Badaun in Uttar Pradesh who were knocking the doors of lawyers and revenue staff to get the due compensation.

Formalities not complete

A sum of Rs 4 lakh will be granted to the family of each victim by the SDM office. No application has been received for claiming this amount and we will disburse the amount as soon as we get the applications. Our field staff has been directed to assist the victim families to complete the formalities. — Divyanshi Singhal, Nalagarh SDM

Red tape to fore

Since the postmortem report did not mention the cause of death, it was supposed to be ascertained from the forensic reports. In the absence of these reports, the field staff of the Revenue Department was unable to fill the cause of death in the applications for applying for the due compensation before the SDM Nalagarh. — Victim’s kin