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mid day editorial: Don't heap despair on a grieving family

Updated on: 21 August,2018 06:02 AM IST  |  Mumbai
mid-day correspondent |

It is now the Railways' job to correspond. The front page report in this paper on Monday highlights how hardship is being heaped on an already grieving family

mid day editorial: Don't heap despair on a grieving family

Andheri's Gokhale Bridge collapsed on July 3, snuffing out the dreams of the Mehta family. Victim Manoj Mehta, 52, a Chartered Accountant, died three weeks later, succumbing to injuries in hospital. This meant his older daughter had to scotch her dream of studying abroad at least temporarily. The family was given R5 lakh as compensation and paid a deposit of Rs 4.5 lakh to the hospital where Manoj Mehta underwent treatment with his bill going as high as Rs 52 lakh.


Now the Railways has to pay the hospital Rs 52 lakh, as only then the hospital will release R4.5 lakh, which they are holding as deposit. The Railways and the hospital need to open channels of communication very quickly. The Railways has to realise that they cannot heap more despair and difficulty on a family that has suffered for no fault of theirs.


The family has lost a member and a breadwinner because of a railway bridge collapse, so it is up to the transportation arm to cough up the money as fast as possible, and mitigate the ongoing suffering of the affected family. One understands that when it comes to the Railways or other agencies, there is a lot of red tapism, processes to be followed and mounds of paperwork. Action happens after a certain time.


Those in charge have to take into account the huge suffering by the Mehta family and release the money to the hospital as soon as possible. They must also communicate with the Mehtas through senior officials who keep them updated and apprised to movement on the bill front. It is not the onus of the family to write letters to the Railways seeking information and reminders about bill payment. It is now the Railways' job to correspond. The front page report in this paper on Monday highlights how hardship is being heaped on an already grieving family.

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