Govt to extend support to families of people killed during polls

Kolkata: The state government has decided to extend financial support to the bereaved family members of the 14 people who were killed during the Panchayat polls.

The Mamata Banerjee government has also assured financial assistance and a job for the wife of the presiding officer, who is suspected to have been killed after being hit by a train at Dinajpur in North Bengal.

The state government will also give financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the people killed. It may be mentioned that the 14, including 10 Trinamool Congress workers, were killed during the Panchayat polls.

The 14 people who were killed during the election include Arif Ali Gazi from Meriganj near Kultali in South 24-Parganas, Sanjit Pramanik from Shantipur in Nadia, Bhola Tapadar and Krishnapada Sarkar from Tehatta in Nadia.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spoke to the wife of Rajkumar Roy, the presiding officer, whose body was found beside a railway track at Sonadangi area in Dinajpur. She assured all support to his family members.

Sources said that the state government will be giving Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of Rajkumar, besides offering a job to his wife.

Investigation revealed that the driver of Radhikapur Express had reported in the next station that there was a case of hit and run. The police came to know that the person was a presiding officer, who had gone to conduct election, when they went to recover the body from the railway tracks.

The state government had ordered a probe by Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in this connection. Preliminary investigation had also revealed that Rajkumar had left the polling station when the election was midway through, as he was suffering from headache. Another officer was deputed in his place to complete the election.

It may be recalled that on Thursday evening while leaving the state secretariat, the Chief Minister had assured that the state government will extend support to the bereaved families, without looking into the political parties they belong to.

It may be mentioned that the state government had made all arrangements as assured to the State Election Commission, to help conduct the Panchayat election in a congenial atmosphere. As a result the election passed peacefully, apart from some stray incidents.