
Numbers hide the human tragedies behind deaths
The case of Dalia Bibi, who hanged herself on Monday after her husband was killed in a Blueline accident on Sunday, is telling. Such fatal accidents by the blueline buses mostly end up as mere statistics in government files. What goes unnoticed is probably the fact that the victims are often the sole breadwinners for their families. Their untimely death put a question mark on the survival of the entire family.
The family of Ashok Kumar is one such case. Kumar was killed by a Blueline bus while he was riding a bicycle to work last year. His blind wife has been forced to take up cleaning and washing jobs in households of Nehru Vihar to support her two children.
Sikander, 20, was also killed by a speeding Blueline and left behind an unemployed father, a bed-ridden mother, an old grandmother and siblings. They depended on Sikander’s meagre salary, which he drew as a courier boy. His grand mother now collects leftover food from neighbours to feed her family. His younger sister died because his family could not get her treated for want of money.
“In most cases, the victims come from very poor families. Their families don’t even have money for cremation. The government should not only come up with a policy on compensation to kin of victims, but should also take up the responsibility of hospital expenses and cremation costs,” said S.N. Mishra, who lost his young daughter to a Blueline bus in Noida last year.
Though the Delhi High Court has passed an order that the owners of the Blueline buses should immediately pay Rs.1 lakh to the family of the dead and Rs.50,000 to the injured, victims’ families claim that the money take a lot of time to reach them.
“The requirements of the families are immediate. This should be looked into. The Blueline operators deposit the amount to the court. The process of getting that money from court is too long and complicated,” said Jasbir Singh Malik, counsel for the Blueline Buses Victims Association.
The Blueline operators have contended the court order saying that the compensation money is paid by the insurance companies. While the bus operators have challenged the court order and are looking for reprieve, the victims’ families feel the issue should be looked into from the human angle.
“It takes 5-6 years before insurance claims are settled by the court. In my case, the court has given a date that is three years from the filing of the case,” said Rajesh Verma, president, Blueline Buses Victims Association.
The association that has moved the court on behalf of several families who have lost their breadwinners feels that the situation is getting out of hand and it is about time the government announced a compensation policy. “The government announced Rs.1 lakh each for the families of each of the eight victims who were killed by a Blueline bus at Badarpur on October 7, 2008. What about the families of other victims? We have pleaded the court that the transport minister should be held responsible and be sacked immediately, the association be made a party in the case in which the High Court is monitoring the situation. There should be no discrimination among people killed by Blueline buses. The chief minister had announced employment to a member of the victim’s family. Nothing has happened to that,” said Malik.
“The fact that neither the government nor the bus operators have responded to notices served by the court in our case shows how serious they are about the whole issue,” he added.

Body of newborn found buried in sand at Raisina Road, probe launched
- A police team immediately rushed to the spot and found that the body had been buried in a mound of sand that had been unloaded there for construction work at the media centre.

JEE main result: two top scorers from capital
- The two who managed perfect scores were Pravar Kataria, 17, a resident of Vikaspuri and Ranjim Prabal Das, 18, a resident of Janakpuri.

Delhiwale: The Jungle Book—in Gurugram
- Take a look at these series of paintings near the Rose Garden in Sector 15

Delhi’s per capita income goes down to ₹3.54 lakh
- This is the first time since 2010-11 that the per capita income in the country’s capital has shrunk.

Avg. daily ridership of Delhi Metro at 10 lakh, down from 57 lakh pre-lockdown

Batla House encounter: A timeline of the 2008 case
- The series of events leading to the Ariz Khan’s conviction in the Batla House encounter case

Delhi government says 87.8 lakh Covid-19 tests done till Dec 31, 2020

Delhi records 239 fresh Covid-19 cases, number of active cases also drop
- Delhi reported 312 and 321 new Covid-19 cases on Friday and Saturday respectively. Authorities in the national capital were advised by the health ministry to keep a check on the number of rising cases after the daily infections reported on March 5 and March 6 went above 300.

Delhi's economy projected to contract by 5.68% in FY21 due to Covid-19: Report

Delhi moves SC against Haryana for clean water supply: AAP's Raghav Chadha

Survey shows average levels of pollutants in Delhi in 2020 lowest in seven years

Delhi's GSDP contracts by 3.9 pc to ₹7.9 lakh crore in FY 21: Economic Survey

All-women team takes charge of traffic control operations at Delhi's IGI airport
- AAI tweeted video with along with a post that read, “AAI derives its strength from its women workforce. Maintaining individuality, these invincible women go beyond & above their call of duty to serve the nation.

Delhi Metro shuts Green Line stns between Tikri Kalan, Brigadier Hoshiar Singh
