Mamata renews compensation demand for Nandigram victims

Express News Service Posted: Jun 01, 2008 at 0207 hrs
Kolkata, May 31 Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee alleged on Saturday that the state government was yet to give compensation that was awarded by the Calcutta High Court to the people of Nandigram who were injured in the police firing on March 14 last year.

“In 2007, 165 people were injured in the firing. None of them have received any compensation till date. We will approach the High Court over it,” Banerjee said at a rally in Nandigram.

In its November 2007 order, the Calcutta High Court had held the police firing unconstitutional and had directed the state government to pay a compensation of Rs five lakh to the family of those killed in the firing, Rs two lakh to those raped and Rs one lakh to the injured.

Hailing Nandigram as a pathfinder for Bengal, the Trinamool chief said, “The people of this town stood up against the CPM and inspired others in various parts of the state. “Claiming that the CPM is still unleashing violence in Nandigram, she said, “ The CPM cadres are attacking houses of our supporters in Saudkhali, Sonachura, Satengabari, Takapura. The police and administration are doing nothing.”

She also recommended a number of measures for ensuring peace in Nandigram including a written undertaking by the state government to stop agricultural land acquisition, helping homeless villagers to return home, withdrawal of false cases against the Trinamool supporters, punishing those guilty of rape and murder in Nandigram and transfer of Debasish Chakraborty, the officer-in-charge of Nandigram police station .

Meanwhile, CPM state secretary Biman Bose took a dig at Banerjee’s demand for repoll in some panchayat seats. He said no one had demanded a repoll after the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.