Confusion prevailed about the ex-gratia amount which the Uttarakhand government will provide to family members of Prakash Pandey, a transporter who had comsumed posion at the BJP office here on 6 December and died during treatment on Tuesday.
Nainital District Magistrate Dependra Chaudhary was redfaced when his announcement of providing Rs 10 lakh to the affected family proved wrong.
The Nainital DM made a hasty announcement without confirming from the state government and after receiving some information from BJP leader and MLA from Kaladhungi, Bansi Dhar Bhagat. Bhagat and Uttarakhand BJP president Ajay Bhatt made similar claims about the ex-gratia amount to be provided to Prakesh Pandey’s family.
But after the news became public, the Chief Minister’s office denied making any such announcement. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat (in photo) said, “The family will be provided help as others were provided in similar cases.”
In another dramatic incident, the security staff at the Uttarakhand CM’s residence arrested a Youth Congress leader on Thursday on charges of attempting to commit suicide. Sanjay Bisht from Ramnagar (Nainital) has made many unsuccessful suicide attempts in the past. Bisht is into transport business and mining.
PTI adds: Former Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat said Pandey’s suicide should open everyone’s eyes to the impact of demonetisation and GST on the lower middle class.
“The death of Haldwani transporter Prakash Pandey is sad and an eye opener. All political parties should focus on the remark he made after consuming poison that he took the extreme step because of demonetisation and GST. It shows the dangerous impact of these measures on the lower middle class,” he told reporters here.