Punjab CM announces Rs 5 lakh compensation for families of Amritsar bus accident victims, Rs 1 lakh for injured

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of those killed in the Amritsar bus accident and Rs1 lakh for every injured person. He also assured that the state government would bear the entire cost of medical treatment for the injured.

Mann visited a hospital in Amritsar to meet the pilgrims injured in the accident near Naushehra Pannuan. He expressed condolences to the bereaved families and directed hospital authorities to ensure the best possible treatment for those injured.

Taking to X, the Chief Minister said most of the injured were out of danger and expected to recover soon.

“Today, I visited a hospital in Amritsar to enquire about the well-being of pilgrims injured in the bus accident near Naushehra Pannuan. By God’s grace, most of the injured are out of danger and are expected to recover soon and return home,” he wrote.

Extending his condolences to the families of the five people who lost their lives, Mann said the government would provide ₹5 lakh to each bereaved family and Rs 1 lakh to every injured person, along with completely free medical treatment.

“The government stands shoulder to shoulder with its people in every difficult hour,” he added.

Five killed, 11 injured in accident

During his interaction with the media, Mann said 11 people had sustained injuries in the accident, while four pilgrims and one motorcyclist lost their lives.

Describing the incident as extremely painful, the Chief Minister said the state government stood firmly with the affected families and would extend all possible assistance.

He added that the civil and police administrations had been directed to help the victims’ families and ensure proper medical care for the injured.

Mann also prayed for strength for the bereaved families to cope with their loss and peace for the departed souls.

Over 7 lakh pilgrims benefit from mukh mantri tirath yatra scheme

Highlighting the reach of the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Yojna, Mann said 7,02,203 pilgrims had benefited from the scheme through 17,531 bus journeys to religious destinations across the country.

These destinations include Amritsar, Sri Anandpur Sahib, Haridwar-Rishikesh, Khatu Shyam and Mathura-Vrindavan.

The Chief Minister said more than 70 buses operate daily under the initiative, helping over 3,000 devotees undertake pilgrimages every day. Thousands of journeys had been completed successfully, and such an unfortunate incident had not occurred during these trips, he added.

Mann urges opposition not to politicise tragedy

The Chief Minister appealed to opposition parties not to turn the accident into a political controversy, saying such unfortunate incidents should not be politicised or attributed to government negligence.

“It is deeply unfortunate that such a tragic incident has taken place, but it should not be politicised. The incident should not be attributed to any fault on the part of the government. The Punjab Government remains committed to the safety and well-being of every citizen,” Mann said.

He also highlighted the role of the Punjab Government’s Sadak Surakhya Force (SSF), stating that it had helped reduce road accidents and save lives across the state through swift emergency responses and road safety interventions.

Mann reiterated that the state government would stand by the affected families and ensure they received all possible support during this difficult time.