Mamata’s prolonged stay in Durgapur leaves a mark
Mamata Banerjee camped in this industrial city for 12 days, which evoked mixed reaction from the locals.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today visited the village in Murshidabad district from where the five migrant labourers who were killed by terrorists at Kulgam in Kashmir, hailed.
Miss Banerjee, who had earlier announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the families of each of the five killed, went to Bahalnagar village after addressing a public meeting at Sagardighi in Murshidabad district.
“I have come here to meet the families of the labourers killed in Kashmir. I have instructed the district magistrate to build houses for these families under Bangla Awas Yojana,” she told reporters here.
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She also said “This is very sad that though five people were killed in Kashmir, no one other than us has visited their village. It is most unfortunate.”
The state government had also provided logistic support to bring back the remaining labourers of the state from Kashmir. On their return to Kolkata each of them were handed over Rs 50,000 in cash to help them start some earning venture.
“Other than us (West Bengal government), nobody has shown any desire to inquire about the plight of these (affected) families. This is very unfortunate,” Miss Banerjee added.
Referring to the killing of five labourers from Bengal at Kulgam in Kashmir in October, Banerjee criticised the Centre for failing to protect non-Kashmiris in the valley.
“You will find people from other states working in Bengal but you will never see that they have been beaten up or attacked. Then why are only Bengalis being attacked in Kashmir? We condemn it,” she said.
The chief minister said the West Bengal government has provided compensation and other relief to the family members of the five killed in Kashmir, besides making special arrangements to bring back hundreds of Bengali labourers from there.
“We have also provided compensation to the the labourers who have been brought back,” she said.
The chief minister also announced that the state government has decided to construct a bus stand in Sagardighi, which will be dedicated to the workers who were killed in Kashmir.
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