Title - Government refuses to pay compensation to 2002 Rajdhani Express mishap victims

PATNA: The state government on Monday refused to pay any compensation to the victims of New Delhi Rajdhani Express disaster at Rafiganj in Aurangabad district on September 9, 2002. Maoists had blown up the railway track at Rafiganj causing the derailment of Rajdhani Express. Altogether 130 passengers were killed in the incident.Water resources minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, while replying to a short notice question of JD-U MLA Pradip Kumar, said no compensation will be paid to the victims. "There is neither any file nor any note issued to the department concerned about the assurance of ex gratia of Rs 1 lakh each to the victims by the then CM Rabri Devi," he said, adding it is the responsibility of the railway ministry to give compensation.Pradip Kumar had earlier demanded compensation from the state government to the family of Vijay Kumar Pradip, a geologist in Jharkhand, and other victims. Vijay was among those killed in the derailment.

Bhagalpur violence: Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary told leader of opposition Abdul Bari Sidiqqui that the zonal IG of Bhagalpur will probe the July 6, 2012, violence at Pirpainti Bazar, Bhagalpur. One person was killed in the violence following protest over a road accident.

Sale of govt land: Revenue and land reforms minister Ramai Ram told Prem Ranjan Patel of BJP that the Munger divisional commissioner would conduct an inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the sale of government land at Lakhisarai by then circle officer-cum-sub-registrar of Suryagarha Dinesh Kumar Singh. He said Lakhisarai DM has sent a report to the principal secretary of revenue and land reforms informing that the CO had manipulated land records of government land and sold a part of it to one Prahlad Yadav and also executed the sale deed as sub-registrar. He was holding the two posts simultaneously. The commissioner has been asked to submit his report within a month and get the deal cancelled.