TENKASI: A day after seven passengers died in a head-on collision between two private buses near Duraisamiyapuram, the daughter of one of the victims on Tuesday appealed to Chief Minister M K Stalin seeking a government job.
Among the seven persons who died was M Mallika (55), a beedi roller of at Netaji Street in Puliyangudi. Her daughter Keerthika (33), who is visually impaired broke down while talking to reporters about her future.
“My father died when I was in Class 5. My elder brother got married and left us to live separately. My mother was my only support all these years. She rolled beedis and made me study MA BEd. I did not see her even for once, and have lost her forever.
I request the CM to provide adequate final assistance and a job. I am preparing for a teaching job,” she said in an emotional plea. The state government had announced solatium of Rs 3 lakh to the victims’ families.
On Tuesday, District Collector A K Kamal Kishore held a meeting with private bus owners and discussed safety measures. Superintendent of Police S Aravind was also present.
The collector instructed bus operators not to operate vehicle in a rash manner and strictly adhere to allotted timings. Further, he directed transport department officials to inspect if speed governors fitted in private buses.
A committee comprising officials from the transport, police and highways departments would be formed to fix speed norms, he said, and warned that stringent action would be taken against buses breaking norms.
Officials from the national and state highway departments inspected the accident spot. Cricketer Shikhar Dhawan condoled the families of the deceased in an X post.