Victims’ kin await financial aid, justice

GORAKHPUR It’s been a tough year for Braham Deo Yadav, a farmer who lost both his son and daughter due to the alleged disruption in oxygen supply at BRD Medical College last year.

Since the death of his twins on August 9 and 10 last year, he has been running from pillar to post to get justice for them as well as the financial aid promised to him by some politicians.

With no sense of closure, parents of the victims feel let down by the state government for ruling out that the deaths took place due to shortage of oxygen supply and turning a deaf ear to repeated pleas for financial assistance. Yadav, along with four-five other parents, who lost their children in the tragedy went to meet a senior minister in the state government in the first week of May and appealed for financial support and punishment for the guilty.

“We also raised concern over bail being granted to one of the accused doctors,” said Yadav. “He asked us to provide our mobile numbers saying that we would get an SMS about receiving financial aid from the government soon. But till date, we have not received any help,” added Yadav. Yadav was one of the victims visited by senior politicians who promised him financial aid, but he is yet to receive help from most of them.

Both SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress president Rahul Gandhi who visited the victims on August 14 and 19, announced help for BRD tragedy victims. “While SP chief Akhilesh Yadav gave us ₹2 lakh, we are yet to receive the help promised by Rahul Gandhi, who came to meet us with senior congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Raj Babbar. Later, we met Raj Babbar and reminded him

about the promise, but are yet to receive any aid,” claimed Yadav. Another application for aid was jointly submitted by all the victims at Gorakhnath temple , but to no avail, he added.

Another victim, Mohammad Zahid, who lost his seven year old daughter Khushi is all set to organise a fatiha (a religious prayer for the peace of the departed souls) on her death anniversary on August 11. Khushi was admitted to BRD medical college with high fever on August 9, but breathed her last two days later . “We don’t want money, but we are still waiting for the guilty to be punished.” The BRD College made headlines last year in August when 60 children, including newborns, had died due to alleged disruption in oxygen supply owing to non-payment of bills to supplier.