Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today sought External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's intervention into the issue of reported drowning of atleast 24 Punjabi youths near Panama after their boat capsized on the sea while travelling to the US.
In a letter to Swaraj, the Chief Minister apprised her about the reports that around 22-24 youths from Punjab have drowned near Panama, when a boat in which they were travelling in from Colombian port town of Turbo, capsized on its journey to the US.
He said the tragedy has shaken the families of the youths and in the absence of any reliable information, it was difficult to console them.
The state government has registered a case against the travel agents belonging to Kapurthala district who were instrumental in arranging their journey, Badal said, adding two travel agents have already been arrested in this regard.
The Chief Minister impressed upon Swaraj that the Centre should make immediate and sincere efforts through the Governments of concerned countries and Indian Missions in Colombia and Panama in this regard.
According to an official spokesperson, the youths were reportedly headed to the US illegally in a boat when it capsized on January 10 on the sea between the Colombian port city of Turbo and neighbouring South American country Panama.
Yesterday, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal spoke to Swaraj over telephone on the issue even as state Congress chief Amarinder Singh sought MEA's intervention into the matter.
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Meanwhile, an American association of NRIs today demanded Chief Minister Badal to immediately order a probe into the Panama boat tragedy and urged him to establish a corporation, on the lines of Maharashtra and Kerala, to monitor the youths from the state going abroad.
"Chief Minister Badal should take an immediate decision in this regard and order a probe into the matter so that we could know which agent took how much money to send these youths illegally to America," said Satnam Singh Chahal, executive director, North American Punjabi Association.
He said, "Our Association has been demanding Punjab government establish a corporation on the lines of Maharashtra and Kerala to monitor if the youths venturing abroad are going legally or illegally. We reiterate our demand.
