Finance minister hands over cheques to fire victims families

Barrackpore, Sep 03 (UNI) West Bengal government has given compensation to the kith of eleven victims who were killed in a shop fire at Sodepur in North 24 Parganas district on May 16.

Finance minister Asim Dasgupta handed over cheques of Rs one lakh each to the kin of eight such victims at a function here yesterday.

Incidentally, three and a half months passed but the CID, West Bengal, was yet to complete its investigation.

Meanwhile efforts were made to reopen the shop considering fate of its employees as the marketing of Sharadiya festival began.

Though one of the owner of the shop is in jail, local leaders and municipality authorities began their exercise to reopen the shop.

A meeting with the local traders' associations has been convened on September 5.

The finance minister also asked the participants of the meeting to raise their helping hands to the kith of the fire victims.

'' On the basis of the final reports of CID,appropriate action would be taken against those responsible '', the minister added.

CID authorities has been asked to expedite its investigation and submit the report to the state government as early as possible while West Bengal Fire Service authorities have already submitted its report with their recommendations, the minister stated.

Altogether 13 people including a Bangladeshi national and a person from outside state were killed and 24 others injured in the incident.

UNI XC RH KLC1330