Jun 12 2008
Relief package for Bhagalpur riots likely to be announced today!
The UPA government is likely to announce a relief package for victims of 1989 Bhagalpur riots in Bihar. Union cabinet meeting is going to held on Thursday to consider this proposal moved by the Home Ministry in this regard. According to the reports the proposed package will be at par with that offered to the victims of 1984 anti Sikh riots.
Earlier a similar relief package to victims of the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat was also set by the government which was cruised by the BJP government saying the UPA Government has announced a relief package for victims of the Gujarat riots with an eye on general elections but ignored those of the Bhagalpur riots even though the state was then under Congress rule. This led the UPA government to announce this fresh package for Bhagalpur riots also.
According to the statistics of the package, the victims whose residential properties had been damaged are likely to get an additional ex gratia of 10 times the amount given by the state Government minus the amount already paid by the state.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had earlier written a letter to the Prime Minister asking for a relief package for the victims of the Bhagalpur riots at par with those of the anti-Sikh riots. After coming to power in Bihar, Nitish had constituted a commission of inquiry under Justice N N Singh, which had recommended a relief package at par with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
