The government of Italy has sanctioned funds for the retrieval of the remains of 300 victims of the Malta Boat tragedy, Malta Boat Tragedy Probe Mission chairman Balwant Singh Khera said last week.

Observing the 11th anniversary of the tragedy, he said the Italian government had sanctioned the requisite funds and had agreed to build a memorial to commemorate the death of 300 young men who had lost their lives in the Malta-Sicily Channel near international waters on 25 December 1996.

Italian senator Tana de Zulueta was instrumental in obtaining the support of four Nobel Prize winners and 100 Members of Parliament, who had asked the Italian prime minister to help the mission in this cause.

Accusing the State political leadership of sheltering the fake travel agents, Khaira said “though 170 out of the 300 youth belonged to Punjab, till now no State government has taken any initiative to provide justice to the victims’ families”. He said monetary relief of Rs 50,000 is inadequate and should be raised for the kin of victims.

The mission has also decided to approach the Delhi High Court to speed up the hearing of the criminal cases against the 25 fake travel agents. He demanded that the government should publish the inquiry report of the human trafficking scandal carried out in 2001.