Stampede victims being rushed to Patna Medical College and Hospital. Telegraph picture

First the stampede tragedy, now delay in getting the entire amount of the promised ex-gratia.

The families of some victims of the stampede at Gandhi Maidan during the Ram Vadh function on Dussehra day, Friday, are crying foul over inadequate payment of ex-gratia amount against the total of what was announced by the state government and the Centre.

Those who are complaining have claimed they have received only Rs 3 lakh though the total compensation amount promised was Rs 5 lakh.

Within a couple of hours of the stampede last Friday, the state government announced payment of ex-gratia amount of Rs 3 lakh to the next of kin of the dead, whereas central government announced compensation amounting to Rs 2 lakh per deceased.

Pappu Mehto, who testified in the public court held by the two-man inquiry committee appointed by the state government to probe the tragic incident, claimed he received compensation amounting to only Rs 3 lakh against the death of his wife Vanita Devi. “I was given a cheque of Rs 3 lakh on Saturday,” he said.

His is not the only case. Salimpur Ahara resident Vinod Gupta, who lost his wife Ranjana Devi and mother Gayatri Gupta, also claimed he had got Rs 3 lakh as ex- gratia amount against the two deaths in his family. He got his statement recorded at the public court on Tuesday.

The worst-case scenario in this regard is that being faced by Gola Road resident Krishna Kumar, the father of a victim. Following the stampede on Dussehra, he admitted his six-year-old son Aryan to a private hospital on Friday night, as he was apprehensive about the kind of treatment he would get at the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH).

His son could not survive the night and died.

But Aryan’s name was not included in the list of those killed in the stampede. His father complained he not received ex- gratia amount when he appeared before the public court on Tuesday.

Sources claimed that of the Rs 3 lakh compensation amount per deceased declared by the state government, Rs 1.5 lakh was contributed by the state disaster management department and the rest Rs 1.5 lakh released from the Chief Minister Relief Fund.

Apparently, the state government is yet to send a list of deceased to the Centre for issue of ex-gratia amount.

That explains why only part of the total amount promised has been given to relatives of victims of this second tragedy at Gandhi Maidan in a year.

“The district administration is still to send the list of people who died in the Gandhi Maidan stampede. Once the list is sent to us, our department would forward the same to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). It normally takes not more than a week thereafter for the release of compensation amount from the PMO,” said Anirudh Kumar, special secretary, state disaster management department.

A total of 32 people were declared brought dead at PMCH on Friday evening, whereas another person was declared dead the same night.

Among the 33 deceased, 28 were female and five male. The dead also included 10 children — seven female and three male — in the age group of 1 to 12 years. The stampede was triggered, allegedly, after rumours that a wire had snapped while others claim a ruckus led to it.