Punjab to provide jobs to train accident victims families

Chandigarh, March 1 (IANS) In a major reprieve to distressed families, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday gave approval to provide jobs to the next of kin of 34 people who died in the rail tragedy in Amritsar as per their qualification by relaxing norms as a special case.

The train accident occurred on October 19, 2018, at Joura Phatak in Amritsar district on the day of Dussehra in which 58 people had died and 71 persons had got injured.

Since these family members could not be covered under the existing state policy and related instructions for grant of jobs on compassionate grounds to them, the government had decided that one member of each of the 34 families of the 58 deceased be considered for a job on the basis of their academic qualification, an official statement said.