Hill plan for ex gratia

TT, Calcutta: The Mamata Banerjee government has decided to give compensation to the next of kin of people who died and those injured during the recent Gorkhaland agitation - acceding to a demand of the Binay Tamang faction of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

A senior state government official, however, said the compensation wouldn't be paid if the deceased or the injured had criminal records. "The details of the compensation could be announced during a bi-partite meeting in Siliguri on Tuesday," the official said.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee arrived in Siliguri on Monday to take part in the meeting between the state government and hill parties at Pintail Village on Tuesday.

According to sources, the government is likely to announce Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for the injured.

Nabanna officials said Tamang had demanded during a bipartite meeting on October 16 that the state government give compensation to the families of 12 Morcha supporters killed during the agitation and the injured persons.