Logo

Logo

707 from MP still missing

statesman news service BHOPAL, 26 JUNE: The Madhya Pradesh government informed the High Court in Jabalpur today that at least 707 persons who…

statesman news service
BHOPAL, 26 JUNE: The Madhya Pradesh government informed the High Court in Jabalpur today that at least 707 persons who went on pilgrimage to Uttarakhand from the state are still untraceable.
The High Court has taken a suo motu action on reports published in newspapers, alleging inappropriate relief work was going on in the affected areas of the hill station.
According to sources, the state government also told the court that more information was being gathered regarding the pilgrims. The High Court was apprised that state religious endowment minister Laxmikant Sharma, along with IAS officer Sanjay Goyal and IPS officer R S Rathore, was monitoring the state’s rescue operations in the hill station.
A Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice K K Lahoti and Justice S Kakade said the state is responsible for tracing pilgrims in the affected areas of Uttarakhand.
Around 2,836 persons had gone to Uttarakhand of which 1,193 have returned, MP advocate general R D Jain submitted before the High Court. Mr Jain said the state government has put up medical camps and treated 8,000 people in the hill state. Besides, three helicopters from the state have been pressed in to rescue operations being carried out by the Army in Uttarakhand, the HC was told.
Assistant solicitor general R S Siddiqui, appearing for the Union government, sought some more time to file reply on steps taken by the national-level disaster management committee to expedite rescue work in the affected areas of the hill state.
The court asked the state to furnish complete information in connection with the pilgrims on the next hearing, scheduled for 28 June.

Advertisement