Dec 13 widows wait for compensation

New Delhi: On the fourth anniversary of the terrorist attack on Parliament, senior leaders paid tribute to the nine security personnel who sacrificed their lives.

Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, Sonia Gandhi, L K Advani and other members of Parliament offered flowers at the memorial. Five terrorists were killed after a long gunbattle in 2001.

The law has run its course and the culprits have been punished but the families of the heroes who foiled the terrorist attack are yet to receive the Government's compensation.

They were promised petrol pumps and cash rewards. But the Government has not fulfilled many of the promises it made.

Those who were promised petrol pumps have no inkling when they will be allotted.

Widows of the slain policemen feel frustrated at what they call government reluctance to give their remaining claims.

They said full compensation has remained elusive despite their requests to politicians like Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi, Opposition leader L K Advani and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad.

Kalpa Negi, widow of Matbar Singh Negi, said "Although four years have passed, it's unclear when petrol pumps will be allotted to us".

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Ganga Devi, widow of ASI Nanak Chand said that she has gone from pillar to post to get the petrol pump that had been promised to her but the Government has not shown any interest in the matter.

Devi has so far only received a petrol pump licence.

Devi said that it was not she who asked for the money, it was the Government which announced compensation, but now seems reluctant to pay.

Jaiwati, widow of head constable Bijendra Singh, said the compensation process has been "awfully complex".

The families of the five Delhi Police personnel who died in the Parliament attack were to be paid Rs 10 lakh but were instead given Rs 7.5 lakh.

The remaining amount was to be settled against flats, which the Delhi Police had promised to give them. But the families still haven?t got these flats.

Only the families of the five slain policemen were given Rs 4 lakh each while those of other security personnel who died in the attack have not received any compensation from the Delhi government.

The families say that the spirit of laying their lives for the country will remain. But they are let down by the shabby treatment by the authorities.