Nitish dubs Centre's relief for riot victims as delayed decision

Patna, Jun 12 (UNI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today described the Centre's relief package for Bhagalpur riot victims of 1984 as a delayed decision.

Mr Kumar retorted sharply at the Central Cabinet's decision and said soon after coming to power he had made a written request to the Centre in 2006 itself for giving relief package to the Bhagalpur riot victims on par with the Sikh riot victims of 1989.

He said the Centre had aleady given relief package to the riot victims of Gujarat on the pattern of Sikh riot victims.

However, the Centre delayed in sanctioning package for Bhagalpur riot victims, he alleged.

Mr Kumar said the Inquiry Commission, headed by Justice N N Singh to probe fresh into the riot cases, had also recommended for providing relief package to the victims on par with the package given to the victims of Sikh riots.

Considering the recomendations of the Inquiry Commission, the state government was paying pension to the next of the kith of riot victims of Bhagalpur, he added.

UNI RS SJC RN1901