Assam CM meets Tinsukia families of Arunachal crash victims, hands over ex gratia

Guwahati, Dec 17: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Wednesday, met the families of 20 victims at Gelapukhuri Tea Estate in Tinsukia, who lost their lives in a tragic road accident in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh earlier this month.

During the visit, Sarma handed over cheques of Rs 5 lakh each to the bereaved families as ex-gratia assistance from the Assam Government.

He also announced that the victims' families would receive an additional Rs 2 lakh from Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.

“Today, on behalf of the state government, we have provided Rs 5 lakh to each bereaved family as a mark of respect for the departed souls. The central government will also extend Rs 2 lakh to each family,” the Chief Minister said.

Sarma directed the Tinsukia District Commissioner to ensure that all eligible families are immediately brought under the Orunodoi Scheme if they have not already been covered.

He also instructed officials to issue ration cards to families lacking one, enabling them to access free rice and other essential commodities at subsidised rates.

“I urge the district administration to expedite Orunodoi coverage for families who have not yet received assistance. Those without ration cards must be issued one without delay so they can avail government benefits,” he said.

The Chief Minister further assured the families of continued support, including exploring employment opportunities in coordination with tea estate authorities and extending assistance for the education of children affected by the tragedy.

Highlighting broader socio-economic concerns, Sarma stressed on the need for industrial growth and skill development within the state to curb distress migration.

“Skills are important, but there is not enough work today. Unless large industries come to Assam, smaller units often cannot pay fair wages. When workers are offered Rs 200 here and Rs 500 in cities like Bengaluru, they naturally choose to leave. The solution lies in setting up industries in Assam and introducing skill training facilities in tea gardens,” he said.

Meanwhile, Tinsukia Police, with assistance from Bihar Police, arrested the owner of the truck involved in the accident from Bihar.

The accused has been identified as Bhushan Kumar. With this, the total number of arrests in the case has risen to three. Earlier, police had arrested two contractors, namely Sirajul Ahmed and Sairuddin Ali, who had hired the labourers for construction work.

The accident occurred on December 8, when a truck carrying 21 labourers plunged into a 1000 ft gorge in Arunachal Pradesh’s Anjaw district. Twenty people were killed in the mishap.

The lone survivor, Budheswar Deep (23), is currently undergoing treatment at Assam Medical College and Hospital in Dibrugarh.

After surviving the crash, Deep managed to reach the nearest Chipra GREF camp, following which police were alerted and rescue operations were launched.