CM visits fire-ravaged Kamla Market, raises compensation for shopkeepers

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday visited Kamla Market where a major fire broke out in October and ordered enhanced compensation to the affected shopkeepers.

The government will soon amend the policy to raise the amount of compensation from Rs 1 lakh to 10 lakh, a government spokesperson said.

"Ordered enhanced compensation to affected shopkeepers. Will amend the policy to provide higher compensation to shopkeepers affected by such incidents in the future," Kejriwal tweeted after his visit.

The shopkeepers of the Kamla Market and those suffering such calamities in future would get Rs 10 lakh (or 50 percent of the total losses whichever is less) as compensation, the spokesperson said.

The Chief Minister has asked the officials to speed up the process of changing the relief policy to enhance the assistance amount.

Around 60 shops and godowns were gutted in the fire in central Delhi's Kamla Market on October 23.

Though no causalities were reported, goods worth lakhs of rupees were gutted. The market houses shops selling coolers and their spare parts.