The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
UP aid to kin of 14 who died in queues
DEMONETISATION
CHIEF MINISTER Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday distributed cheques of Rs 2 lakh each among the families of 13 people, who he claimed had died while waiting in queues outside banks and ATMS, following demonetisation. He also gave Rs 2 lakh to a widow, who had delivered a child while waiting in queue at a bank to withdraw cash in Kanpur Dehat district.
According to government records, those who had died in queues either at banks or ATMS are Razia (Aligarh), Virendra Kumar (Sitapur), Teerthraji (Kushinagar), Paikarma Yadav (Lakhimpur Kheri), Khalil Ahmed (Bareilly), Karmaita (Pratapgarh), Bablu Yadav and Ghaseeta (both Hamirpur), Rakesh Chandra (Agra), Radharaman (Auraiya), Ganga Charan (Jalaun), Baladeen (Mahoba) and Meer Singh (Bulandshahr).
Sarvesha Devi (25), whose husband had died five months ago, delivered a boy while waiting in queue. “I had gone to the bank to draw Rs 20,000, which was an installment released by the state government for construction of a house under the Lohia Awas scheme. I requested the bank staff to give me cash first because I was not in a condition to wait in queue but they asked me to wait,” she said.
“I was in queue since 9 am. I went into labour and the baby was delivered inside the bank at 4 pm. No medical help was provided even after I had complained of pain,” added Sarvesha, who works as a domestic help. “As the child was born in the bank, I have named him Khajanchi,” she said.
Among other women who had come to receive Rs 2 lakh, Rajesh Kumari (30) of Hamirpur, said her husband, Bablu Yadav (35), had died while waiting in queue to exchange old notes at a bank in Mamrejpur tehsil in the district. Bablu’s cousin, Lakhan, said the deceased had suffered a cardiac arrest on November 15 outside the bank after he failed to exchange notes for the third consecutive day.
Rampati (68) of Kheri district said her husband, Paikarma Yadav, had died on December 19 while waiting outside a bank to withdraw Rs 6,000. “He had gone to withdraw money for my treatment,” she said, adding that she will use this Rs 2 lakh help get her granddaughter married.
Meanwhile, Akhilesh also gave Rs 25 lakh each to the families of Cobra commando Sinod Kumar (Azamgarh), BSF jawan Harikesh Prasad (Kushinagar), Army hawaldar Multan Singh (Agra) and BSF Nayab Harvendra Yadav (Ballia). They had died in separate incidents on duty.