Karur, July 10 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Friday handed over compassionate appointment orders to the members of families who lost their loved ones in the Karur stampede, describing the tragedy as an “unhealed wound” that continues to weigh heavily on his heart. The stampede occurred on September 27 last year, on the eve of the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, during a TVK election campaign rally in Karur. Forty-one people were killed in the incident. A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the tragedy is currently underway. Following the incident, the Tamil Nadu government announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh to each bereaved family, while the TVK extended an additional compensation of Rs 20 lakh. As part of the government’s rehabilitation measures, the Chief Minister visited Karur to distribute compassionate appointment orders to eligible family members of the victims.

During a function held at the Atlas Arena, CM Vijay presented appointment orders to one member from each of the 32 affected families, with jobs offered as per the educational qualifications of the beneficiaries. The event coincided with proceedings before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, where a petition challenging the government’s decision to provide permanent government jobs to the victims’ families came up for hearing. The court directed that the beneficiaries could, for the present, be offered temporary appointments. Addressing the gathering, an emotional Vijay said the pain caused by the Karur tragedy had never left him. “My heartfelt greetings to all my brothers and sisters of Karur who live in my heart. No matter how high a person rises in life, the wounds and pain in the heart can never be forgotten. I stand before you today after overcoming many hardships and emotional scars,” he said.

“The Karur tragedy caused me immense mental anguish. I lost my brothers, my sisters and my innocent children in Karur. The incident remains an unhealed wound in my heart. They pinned the blame on me for the Karur incident, but I entered politics for the sake of the people, and I am determined to bring a permanent end to such tragedies,” the Chief Minister said.

Launching a political attack on the Opposition, CM Vijay alleged that opposition members walked out of the Legislative Assembly when the term “party fund” was mentioned. He further claimed that corruption worth crores of rupees existed across government departments in the past, but asserted that people now believed bribery and corruption in government offices had significantly reduced under his administration.

The Chief Minister also reiterated his government’s commitment to fulfilling its election promises. He announced that the promised scheme to present a gold ring on behalf of the maternal uncle to newborns on the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai (Arignar Anna) would be implemented as pledged. The programme concluded with the distribution of appointment orders to beneficiaries, with the government stating that the initiative was aimed at providing long-term financial security to families devastated by one of the worst public tragedies in the state’s recent history.

--IANS