New Delhi: Two months after the tragic stampede at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj that claimed at least 30 lives on January 29, grieving families are still waiting for the Rs 25-lakh compensation promised by the Uttar Pradesh government.Despite assurances from the Adityanath government, victims’ kin have been left in limbo because there has been no public disclosure of the victims’ list or an update on compensation status, reports Indian Express.Families have repeatedly been redirected to various authorities without resolution of the issue. Adding to their frustration is the fact that even basic documentation – death certificates of victims – has not been provided to many families. The newspaper reports that families claim they are yet to receive any official communication regarding compensation or documentation.The state police had promised that a list of victims who died in the stampede would be made public soon, but the list of names has not been released so far. There have been questions about the actual number of deaths in the stampede. Newslaundry had reported at least 79 dead in the stampede while former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav had claimed that around 1,000 people were missing after the Maha Kumbh.Also Read: Maha Kumbh Stampede Was a Tragedy in WaitingPM Narendra Modi was also attacked by the Opposition after he skipped mentioning the stampede and the dead during his speech in parliament extolling the organisation and conduct of the religious festival. In response to another question, the union government had claimed that it does not have any figures for dead in the stampede because law and order was state government issue.The Uttar Pradesh government had announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for each victim’s family immediately after the incident. Yet, Indian Express reports that families report receiving partial amounts or none at all. Many families remain unaware of what steps they need to take to access these funds.While families are still waiting for their rightful compensation two months after the tragedy, questions have also arisen regarding transparency in disbursement because some families have received Rs 5 lakh instead of Rs 25 lakh, that too in cash. The lack of communication and clarity has left grieving families feeling abandoned by the state government which had promised swift action.
