Woman beneficiary of PM's welfare plan found dead

A woman beneficiary of a Central welfare scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 7 was found dead on National Highway-8 the same day, the authorities said on Wednesday.

Nandi Bai belonged to Dungarpur and had come to attend the Prime Minister's Jan Samwad programme in Jaipur on July 7, said Dungarpur district collector Rajendra Bhatt. He said Nandi Bai was reportedly returning from Jaipur by bus. She had received Central aid of Rs 1.5 lakh under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

"We are not sure if she died in an accident. Her son, brother-in-law and the brother-in-law's son were accompanying her. According to them, the bus stopped at a dhaba for food. However, her body was found 48 km ahead, which raises questions," said Bhatt.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the bereaved family, Bhatt said.

Dungarpur Station House Officer Brijesh Kumar said the son of the deceased, Laxman Singh, had lodged a complaint about the disappearance of his mother on July 9. The Ajmer police were investigating the case, he added.

Rajendra Singh, Superintendent of Police, Ajmer, said the police had found a body on NH-8 on July 7 and had launched an inquiry to identify the deceased. "On July 10, her son, Laxman Singh, approached us and identified the body. We conducted the post-mortem and handed the body to the family. A case has been registered and further investigations are on," he said.

Archana Sharma, vice president, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee, said it was the government's responsibility to ensure the safety of such beneficiaries. "The officers should have taken the responsibility to drop all government guests to their homes. A thorough investigation should be made into the matter," she said.

--IANS

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