Amritsar, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday visited hospitals in Amritsar to meet pilgrims injured in a tragic road accident near Naushehra Pannuan involving buses operating under the state government’s Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Scheme. Expressing deep sorrow over the loss of five lives, the Chief Minister announced financial assistance of ₹5 lakh to the family of each deceased person and ₹1 lakh for every injured victim.
Assuring the affected families of the government’s full support, Mann said that all injured persons would receive the best possible medical care completely free of cost. He also directed the civil and police administration, along with hospital authorities, to ensure that no effort was spared in providing timely treatment and assistance to those affected.
During his hospital visit, the Chief Minister interacted with the injured pilgrims and enquired about their health and recovery. He said that, according to the information available to the government, 11 people had sustained injuries, while four pilgrims and a motorcyclist had lost their lives in the accident.
Describing the incident as deeply distressing, Mann said the government shared the grief of the bereaved families and would stand by them through this difficult period. He expressed his condolences to the families who had lost their loved ones and prayed for strength for them to endure the irreparable loss.
In a message shared on social media platform X, the Chief Minister said that most of the injured were out of danger and were expected to recover soon. He reiterated that the state government would bear the entire cost of their medical treatment besides extending the announced financial assistance.
“The government stands shoulder to shoulder with its people in every difficult hour,” was the message conveyed by the Chief Minister while assuring the victims’ families that they would not be left to face the crisis alone.
### **Over Seven Lakh Pilgrims Have Benefited from Tirath Yatra Scheme**
Addressing the media, Mann also highlighted the reach of the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Scheme, stating that more than seven lakh devotees had benefited from the initiative through over 17,000 pilgrimage trips to various religious destinations.
He said the scheme had enabled people, particularly those who might otherwise find it difficult to undertake religious journeys, to visit important pilgrimage centres, including Amritsar, Khatu Shyam and Mathura.
According to the Chief Minister, more than 70 buses operate daily under the programme, facilitating the religious journeys of over 3,000 devotees every day. He described the initiative as an important public welfare measure and said thousands of journeys had been completed successfully.
Mann maintained that the unfortunate accident should not overshadow the larger objective of facilitating religious travel for people across Punjab. He also said that such an incident had not previously occurred during the journeys organised under the scheme.
Mann Appeals to Opposition Against Politicising the Tragedy
The Chief Minister appealed to opposition parties to refrain from turning the accident into a political controversy, emphasising that the immediate priority should be supporting the affected families and ensuring proper treatment for the injured.
He said an unfortunate road accident should be approached with sensitivity rather than being used to create political confrontation. The government, he asserted, remained committed to protecting citizens and extending assistance whenever such tragedies occurred.
Mann also referred to the contribution of the Punjab Government’s Sadak Surakhya Force (SSF), which was established to strengthen road safety and emergency response across the state.
He said the force had helped save precious lives through prompt intervention, accident response and timely assistance to road accident victims. Its deployment, according to him, had made an important contribution towards improving road safety and reducing fatalities on Punjab’s highways and roads.
Reiterating his government’s commitment, Mann said the administration would continue to extend every possible support to the affected families and ensure that the injured received quality medical care without financial burden.
The Chief Minister’s visit and compensation announcement come amid grief over the accident, with the government assuring assistance to the victims while the circumstances surrounding the tragedy remain an important matter of public concern.
