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Punjab govt to build hospital in memory of rail mishap victims

A state-of-the-art hospital will be built close to the site of the devastating train accident which claimed 211 lives on November 26.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said the modern hospital would be a memorial for the dead passengers and a symbol of appreciation for the selfless services of villagers who launched a massive rescue operation to save the victims, long before the official teams arrived.

Speaking yesterday at a memorial service for passengers who died in the accident involving the Frontier Mail and the Sealdah Express, the chief minister announced full compensation to the farmers whose crops were destroyed in the rescue operation.

The site of the hospital would be decided by locals. He also announced a grant of Rs 200,000 to each of the five villages which were involved in the rescue effort.

He said the name of Bhai Jaswant Singh, a voluntary rescue worker, who displayed exemplary honesty in depositing with the recovery committee the Rs 500,000 he found at the accident site, would be recommended to the Centre for the highest award.

Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee president Gurucharan Singh Tohra, top state government officials and a large number of local people also attended the meeting.

UNI

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