Pending projects led to stampede at Mumbai railway station: Ashok Chavan

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], Sept. 29 (ANI): Former Maharashtra chief minister and Congress leader Ashok Chavan on Friday urged the Centre to complete all pending projects to avoid untoward incidents like stampede at Mumbai’s Elphinstone railway station.

Chavan said it is because of such incidents the government is being criticized.

After meeting the victims in the Mumbai's KEM hospital in Parel, Chavan expressed grave concern over the incident and said 'government is somewhere responsible for the stampede.'

He said total Rs 45, 000 crore was assigned to improve the infrastructure in 2016, but the work has not even started.

"They should immediately start working on the project that is pending from long time. It is because of such incidents the government has come into a bad light and people are troubled," he said.

"We have not come here to do politics on this incident as being said; we are here just to meet the victims," he added.

At least 22 people died and over 39 others got injured in the stampede that took place earlier in the day.

A high-level enquiry headed by the Chief Safety Officer of Western Railways has been ordered in the matter.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the next of the kin of deceased and will bear all the medical expenses of the injured.

The Railway Ministry has also announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the deceased people, Rs 1 lakh for grievously injured and Rs 50,000 for people who got minor injuries. (ANI)