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Balasore accident: Banerjee gives home guard appointment letters to next of kin
At least 103 persons from West Bengal have been killed in the accident while another 40–50 people are still missing, Mamata Banerjee said
KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday issued appointment letters to induct 86 people who lost a family member in the Balasore train accident as home guards.
At least 103 persons from West Bengal have been killed in the accident while another 40–50 people are still missing, Banerjee said. At least three of the survivors from the state have suffered severe disability.
The chief minister earlier announced that the state government will provide an ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh, job of a home guard and a one-time sustenance allowance of ₹10,000 to the next of kin of all those who were disabled or killed in the accident.
The state government will also pay ₹2,000 to each family of the injured over the next three months along with food items such as rice and pulses.
At least 172 persons sustained serious injuries while 635 persons from the state suffered minor injuries.
“We will also offer free education to 100 children, including 50 girls and 50 boys, if any of the victim-family wants. I have already received one such request,” said Banerjee.
The Prime Minister’s Office too has announced ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from PMNRF to the next of kin of each deceased in the train mishap in Odisha. Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced an additional ₹10 lakh.
“The railway is not doing any favour by paying compensation to the victims. It is your duty. The compensation paid by the state government is, however, extra. We are doing in because we are human,” Banerjee said as she stepped up her ante against the BJP-led Centre.
She also requested the state police and the women and child development and social welfare department to explore if more job opportunities could be created for those who were going to other states.
The BJP, however, attacked the Mamata Banerjee-administration alleging that the state government was siphoning money from other allocations to pay the compensation.
“The West Bengal Government is paying compensation to the Coromandel Express Accident Victims from the Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board’s (BOCWWB) funds. In simple words, @MamataOfficial is snatching the funds meant for the welfare of the Building & Other Construction Workers, to act as philanthropist on stage for photo op,” BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said in a post on Twitter.
