Victims Receive ‘ZERO’ Compensation Despite CM’s Announcement in Ramol Factory Blast That Killed 9

Nearly two months after a devastating explosion at an illegal firecracker manufacturing unit in Ahmedabad’s Ramol area claimed eight lives and left eight others injured, the financial assistance promised by the Gujarat government is yet to reach the affected families.

The blast occurred on July 18 near the Ramol-Gatrad Road in Vastral. In the immediate aftermath, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel expressed grief on social media platform X and publicly announced an ex-gratia compensation of ₹4 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased victim, alongside ₹50,000 for every injured person.

Despite public assurances that the local administration was extending all necessary medical and financial support, victims' kin state that not a single rupee from the state exchequer has been disbursed, disclosed a question tabled during state Assembly’s monsoon session on Friday.

Bureaucracy Clamps Down, Payments Stall

Following public outrage over the tragedy, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) launched a citywide crackdown, sealing dozens of illegal firecracker units and deploying heavy machinery to bulldoze unauthorized structures in Vastral, including the site of the fatal blast.

However, while administrative enforcement moved quickly to flatten non-compliant units, administrative relief for the human toll of the disaster has stalled entirely.

The failure to release the promised ex-gratia has left grieving households to shoulder medical bills and lost livelihoods on their own. For families who lost primary breadwinners in the blast, the delay in state aid highlights a glaring gap between high-profile official announcements and real-world relief delivery.

Mounting Pressure on State Administration

The persistent delay raises sharp questions regarding accountability and procedural bottlenecks in disbursing state relief funds. Compensation announced directly by the Chief Minister during major industrial disasters is intended as immediate interim relief to stabilize vulnerable households.

With nearly eight weeks elapsed since the explosion, pressure is mounting on the state government and civic authorities to expedite the administrative paperwork and release the pending compensation without further delay.