Birbhum violence: 'Kept my words', says Mamata as she offers jobs to 10 villagers
The murder of Bhadu Sheikh, a local TMC panchayat leader in Bogtui village sparked violence, with several houses being set ablaze. At least nine lives were lost in the arson.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday offered government jobs (at group-D level) to 10 people who were affected in the recent violence in Birbhum district. Banerjee had announced jobs to family members of villagers who were charred to death at a village in Rampurhat of Birbhum.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo said she has kept her word. "I kept my words. Today I am giving government jobs to 10 people in group D (to those who were affected in the Birbhum violence)," news agency ANI quoted her as saying.
On March 21, the murder of Bhadu Sheikh, a local TMC panchayat leader in Bogtui village sparked violence, with several houses being set ablaze. At least nine lives were lost in the arson.
After the incident, Banerjee visited the village, and announced financial aid for the affected families and separate funds for rebuilding burnt houses. Cheques worth ₹5 lakh were handed over to the families who lost a member in the violence. An amount of ₹2 lakh was offered for rebuilding the houses lost to fire. Besides, she offered jobs to the members of the affected families.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the massacre following an order by the division bench of the chief justice of the Calcutta high court, 22 people have been apprehended so far in connection with the murder cases.
The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has also constituted a fact-finding team of five members who recently submitted their report. The fact-finding committee attributed the violence to “state-sponsored extortion, goonda tax, cut-money, toll baazi”.
