State govt declares Rs 2L aid for Mizoram tragedy victims

malda: As directed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, minister of state for Irrigation, Sabina Yasmin, along with Samirul Islam, chairman of West Bengal Migrant Labour Welfare Board, and Trinamool Rajya Sabha MPs, Sabitri Mitra and Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury visited the families of the deceased migrant labourers of the Mizoram tragedy on Thursday morning.

Although 18 workers were officially reported dead, the death toll now stands at 23, said sources. The bodies of five workers has not yet been located.

The state government will extend an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each, Sabina Yasmin informed the bereaved families. A sum of Rs 10 lakh from Railways for each family as compensation was also demanded by Yasmin. On Thursday, the team visited Chauduar village with top district administrative and police officials.

They met the families of the deceased and told them that the Chief Minister has extended all possible support to the families of the deceased.

Extending her condolences, Yasmin said: “The incident is very sad. So far, we have come to know about the death of 18 labourers while five workers are still missing. Our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is in regular contact with the Mizoram government.” It is to be noted that 16 migrant labourers of Ratua-II, five from English Bazar and 1 each from Kaliachak-II and Gazole from Malda died in the bridge collapse tragedy in Mizoram.

Vikas Chaube, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Malda, in a press note, said: “Union minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnav, in a social media post on X on Wednesday informed about an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased, Rs 2 lakh for grievously injured and Rs 50,000 for the injured. Northeast Frontier Railway has sent 18 bodies in ambulances to Malda which are expected to reach by Friday morning. Both Katihar and Malda Division of Railway to take up the task of the transportation of the bodies and distribution of ex-gratia amounts.”

Nitin Singhania, District Magistrate Malda, also met and spoke to the families of the deceased in Chauduar village.

Mamata Banerjee had also urged all the migrant workers to return to the state and start their own enterprises with subsidised loans from ‘Bhabishyat’ credit card. Banerjee also slammed the Railways for frequent accidents and loss of lives.

The Chief Minister demanded that the Central government give one job to a family member of each labourer who died in the Mizoram tragedy.