Kharghar tragedy: Daughter of victim from Kalwa demands government job instead of ₹5 lakh compensation

On Sunday, April 16, Pushpa Gaikar (64) and Bheema Krishna Salvi (58) from Kalwa attended the Maharashtra Bhushan Award Ceremony for Appasaheb Dharmadhikari in Kharghar but did not return home. Later, their daughters learned that their mothers had passed away. Gaikar's daughter has requested a government job for her brother instead of the state government's Rs 5 lakh aid.

The daughters of both deceased women have accused the government of negligence, alleging that their mother's lives were lost due to inadequate planning and precautions.

On Sunday, 14 devotees who were attending the event in the scorching heat died due to heatstroke. The government has announced an aid of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the deceased.

Among the 14 victims were three residents of Kalwa: 64-year-old Pushpa Gaikar, 58-year-old Bheema Salvi, and 55-year-old Vinayak Haldankar from Kalyan.

Vinayak Haldankar was brought to MGM hospital with heatstroke symptoms and suffered a heart attack. While his daughters and wife did not comment on his death, other family members reported that all necessary arrangements were made for him after he experienced suffocation during the program.

Sarika Patil, Gaikar's daughter, expressed anger towards the government for organizing such a large event without adequate measures to protect attendees. She stated, "No amount of compensation can replace the loss of a mother. Instead of money, we demand a secure government job for my brother as a tribute to my mother, who was the head of our family."

Jyotsana Hande, Salvi's daughter, also criticized the government's lack of planning and urged them to avoid unplanned events that put innocent lives at risk. She stated, "I have lost my mother. We do not know if you do social work or politics, but please do not plan any more events that will cost innocent lives."