100 days after Palem Volvo bus mishap

Kin of bus victims continue fight

• Bus owners and the culprits still not punished

• Families demand jobs after losing sole bread winner

Hyderabad: Even as the Volvo bus fire accident at Palem near Mahbubnagar district completes 100 days on February 6 (Thursday), the relatives of the 45 victims, who were charred to death, are still running from pillar to post and staging dharnas across the State seeking justice.

The JAC of Palem Bus Fire Accident Victims’ Families are demanding higher ex gratia, government jobs to a relative of victim among others. The JAC also wanted to build a memorial at the accident site.

A few members of JAC spoke to The Hans India on their plans to build a memorial at the accident site at Palem, when the incident marks completion of 100 days on Thursday. A few of them expressed their woes stating that no one was there to empathise with them. Yogender Prasad Rai of Patna, who lost his son Gaurav Vikrant Rai, says that he makes it a point to visit Hyderabad each time a meeting is held for demanding justice to the bus fire victims. Like Yogender, K Aruna who lost her daughter, son-in-law and grand-daughter in the accident, has to travel from Nellore to attend every meeting in Hyderabad. She says, “Our fight is to see that the culprits get arrested. They should not go scot free. Such a tragedy should not befall on others.”

The life of Hajra Parveen has turned upside down after she lost her husband, Md Sardar, an employee of Intel Mobile Communications, in the accident. Forced to stay with her parents, the mother of twins aged one-and-a-half, says, “My father is on dialysis and my mother is a heart patient. I am now staying with my parents. The government should provide jobs for spouse.”

The family of SM Jamaluddin, a programme manager, who died at a young age 30 years, is carrying on the fight to see that the bus owners are arrested. SM Kamruddin, his brother says, “Jamal was to get married on December 26, 2013. The marriage hall was booked, shopping was done and he was the youngest in the family. Life has changed totally. A single day does not pass without crying.”

B Harish, a 31 year-old software engineer was coming to Hyderabad to see his three-month-old child. His father, B Panduranga Rao a retired private employee said, “He was the sole bread winner for the family.

The government needs to provide jobs.”