Kolkata, Oct 30 The West Bengal government on Friday extended financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh each to the next of kin of the Bihar victims of the October 27 Durga Puja pandal stampede in Kolkata, a senior official said.
A delegation, led by state minister Umesh Rai, visited the victims’ house in Muzaffarpur and handed over two cheques of Rs 25 lakh each to the bereaved family.
The deceased, Abhishek Srivastava and his son Ayansh Srivastava, were among the 19 people killed in the stampede at Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal.
During the visit, Rai connected a video call with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who spoke to the next of kin of the deceased and assured them of the state government’s continued support.
Adhikari told the family that he would speak to Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary to explore the possibility of providing a government job to one of the family members in Bihar, the official said.
The West Bengal Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department has assured the family that it would extend assistance if they face any difficulty in future, he said.
Of the 19 people killed in the tragedy, 17 were from West Bengal, while the remaining two belonged to Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district.
The West Bengal CM has personally visited the homes of the 17 victims from the state and handed over compensation to their families.
He has also announced that his government will provide employment to the next of kin of the 17 deceased from West Bengal. The state cabinet has also given its nod.
(PTI News)
