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Six days after a blast at an “illegal cracker factory” in West Midnapore’s Pingla killed 12 people, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of the minors killed in the blast.
After holding an administrative meeting in Jhargram, Mamata announced that the state government will hand over cheques of Rs 2 lakh to the families of each minor victim. She added that Rs 50,000 each will be given to those who sustained injuries in the blast.
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Nine of the 12 people who had died in the blast on May 7 were minors. All below 16 years of age, they belonged to Suti village in Murshidabad. The other three dead are Ram Maity — who used to run the factory — his wife and another worker. No compensation has been announced for the deceased worker.
The CID has already sent DNA samples of the minor victims for forensic examination.
Mamata further announced that electricity has reached the whole of West Midnapore district. “Electrification in the district has been completed,” she said.
Maintaining that the government will start a project to improve connectivity between Junglemahal and north and south Bengal, she added: “We will set up South Bengal and North Bengal corridor from Junglemahal. Work to build four bridges will also begin in the area.”