Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has decided to increase the compensation for the families of those killed in the gas cylinder blast in Bhungra in Jodhpur from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
The decision was taken on the recommendation of the Jodhpur district administration in view of the weak economic condition of the families, according to an official release. On December 8, a cylinder blast in Bhungra of Shergarh division of Jodhpur triggered a fire leaving about 50 people injured. Thirty-five of those injured in the incident have succumbed by Tuesday. Gehlot earlier announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh from the chief minister's relief fund, which has now been increased to Rs 5 lakh.
The chief minister also instructed officials to give employment on contractual basis to the families of the deceased. Also, the government announced that an inquiry into the incident will be conducted by the Divisional Commissioner of Jodhpur. The inquiry report will be submitted to the state government within a month. Meanwhile, BJP leader and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje and Congress leader Sachin Pilot visited the families of the victims on Tuesday.
During his visit to the village, Pilot called for raising the financial assistance provided to the affected families. Raje paid tributes to the deceased and interacted with their families and assured them of required help. She formed a five-member committee to talk to the families of the deceased to assess their requirements. "I will adopt all the families affected by the incident so that arrangements such as food, housing, education and other social responsibilities could be made for the injured, relatives of departed and their children," Raje said.
In Jodhpur, Raje also visited the Border Security Force (BSF) campus and paid tribute to Bhairon Singh Rathore, a hero of the 1971 India-Pakistan war who died on Monday.
