'Netaji' not to celebrate birthday in wake of Kanpur tragedy

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)[India], Nov. 21(ANI):Uttar Pradesh's Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said that the Samajwadi Party(SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has cancelled all celebrations related with his birthday due to Indore-Patna Express derailment. "Netaji and party has decided not to celebrate his birthday this year because many people lost their lives in the accident," he told ANI here. The SP supremo has his birthday on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu will make a statement on Monday in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Kanpur train tragedy. Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav announced an ex-gratia of Rs. five lakh to the families of the deceased, Rs. 50,000 for the seriously injured people and Rs. 25,000 for those with minor injuries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs. two lakhs from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of those killed in the train tragedy. The Prime Minister also announced Rs. 50,000 as compensation to the survivors. Over 150 people were injured in the tragedy which occurred on Sunday when 14 coaches of the train ran off the rails near Pukhrayan station, about 60 km from Kanpur city. The death toll in the Kanpur rail tragedy where the Indore-Patna Express derailed, mounted to 145 on Monday while the search operations for any survivors came to an end. (ANI)