Chennai, 10 July (H.S.):

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Friday handed over compassionate appointment orders to members of families who lost their loved ones in the Karur stampede, saying the tragedy continues to haunt him and remains an unhealed wound in his heart.

The Chief Minister distributed appointment orders to one eligible member each from 32 bereaved families during a function held at the Atlas Arena in Karur. The jobs were offered based on the educational qualifications of the beneficiaries as part of the State government's rehabilitation package for families affected by the tragedy.

The Karur stampede occurred on September 27 last year, on the eve of the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, during a TDP election campaign rally. Forty-one people were killed in the incident, one of the worst public tragedies witnessed in the State in recent years. A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the incident is currently under way.

Following the tragedy, the Tamil Nadu government announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh to each bereaved family, while the TDP extended an additional compensation of Rs 20 lakh.

The distribution of appointment orders came on a day when the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court heard a petition challenging the government's decision to provide permanent government jobs to the victims' families. During the hearing, the court directed that, for the present, the beneficiaries could 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.

Recalling the tragedy, the Chief Minister 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.

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

Reiterating his government's commitment to fulfilling its election promises, the Chief Minister announced that the proposed 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 promised.

The programme concluded with the distribution of appointment orders, with the government stating that the initiative was aimed at providing long-term financial security to families devastated by the Karur stampede.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman