Rupees 15 lakh compensation to slain security men's families

Kolkata, Feb 17 : West Bengal Wednesday announced compensation of Rupees 15 lakh for the families of each of the Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR) trooper killed in the Maoist attack on a West Midnapore police camp Monday.

"A compensation of Rs.15 lakh will be given to the families of each EFR jawan killed in the Maoist attack at Shilda police camp. A job will also be offered to one of the family members of each deceased jawan on compassionate grounds," state home secretary Ardhendu Sen told reporters here.

He said the compensation money would be despatched within the next three-four days to the victims' families.

Sen criticised the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), which protested against the death of the jawans, saying all the slain jawans were Gorkhas. "It is not true that only Gorkha jawans were killed in the Maoist operation at Shilda," he said.

He said the government was also considering giving full salaries of the EFR jawans, that they were supposed to get till their retirement, to their families.

"The entire process has not been finalised so far as it requires the Chief Minister's approval," the home secretary said.