Bhopal, March 28 The Congress announced on Saturday that it would provide Rs 50,000 in assistance to each of the 10 families of those killed in a bus accident in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, two days ago, blaming the government for the tragedy.
Speaking at a press conference, Leader of the Opposition in the legislative assembly, Umang Singhar, said the bus was returning from a function attended by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
He also claimed that there had been complaints that women were pressured to attend the program, with threats that benefits under the 'Ladli Behna Yojana' could be stopped if they did not attend.
Singhar questioned whether the government would investigate the role of "officials or workers who allegedly exerted such pressure".
According to police, ten people were killed and 31 were injured, including three to four critically, in a collision between a bus returning from a public function attended by the CM and a pickup vehicle in Chhindwara on Thursday evening.
Singhar said the Congress legislature party would provide Rs 50,000 in assistance to the families of those killed in the accident. The Congress has 65 legislators in the 230-member MP assembly.
Hours after the accident, the CM had announced Rs 4 lakh in assistance each for families of those killed and Rs 1 lakh for the seriously injured. On Friday, he declared an additional ex gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the deceased under the 'Sambal' scheme, taking the compensation to such families to Rs 8 lakh each.
Singhar said the road accident situation in Madhya Pradesh remained serious, with the state ranking second in the country in such incidents.
He said that 65,214 people had died in road accidents in the state over the past five years, including 14,791 in 2024.
The Congress leader also expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and wished speedy recovery to the injured, two of whom are being treated in Nagpur.
