Kalimpong Stampede: Darjeeling MP demands Mamata Govt to pay financial compensation to victims

KALIMPONG: Darjeeling MP Raju Bista today chastised the West Bengal Government after the death of two persons during a stampede in Kalimpong, West Bengal.

"I cannot for the life of me understand why the West Bengal government has permitted various events to be organized in the hills with no care and concern for the safety and well being of the people during these COVID times," he said in a statement.

He also said that he has urged West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to pay all the treatment and hospital bills for those injured and appropriate financial compensation must be paid to the families of those who lost their lives.

Bista today said that he is "absolutely devastated to learn about the series of unfortunate events leading to the death of two individuals Anita Chettri and Binita Gurung from Chandralok in Kalimpong."

It needs mention that 5 more individuals have been greviously injured; while two have been taken to Siliguri for treatment, and three are under treatment at Kalimpong District Hospital.

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The MP alleged that despite the stampede leading to the death of at least one individual being known to the organizers and in all likelihood the police too, they did not cancel the program and continued with the program.

"In one of the interviews, I saw a survivor stating that police resorted to lathi-charge, investigations need to be conducted on if this was what contributed to the stampede?," Bista further added.

He added that "all those found guilty of this gross dereliction of duty leading to the loss of human lives must be brought to book."

"I feel that this tragic yet needless loss of life could have been avoided, had the West Bengal government officials taken care of safety protocols first, before granting permission for the event to be held," Bista added.

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