High court orders monetary relief for Nandigram victims

The Calcutta High Court today asked the West Bengal government to pay Rs 5 lakh to the next of the kin of those killed and Rs 2 lakh to those injured in Nandigram since trouble started there in March after the government's move to acquire farm land for a chemicals hub.

The court also asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to restart investigation into the March 14 firing by the state police in which 14 people were killed. The state government was strongly opposed to the CBI probe.

The government indicated it would file an appeal against the high court order.

The villagers killed on March 14 were among those refusing to give up their land for the project.

The firing led to a virtual civil war in the area and nearly continuous conflict since then between members of the anti-Left groups opposing eviction from land (organised under the banner of the Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee) and the CPI(M) supporters, favouring land acquisition for the chemicals hub.

On November 13, the government said it would not pay any compensation except to the next of kin of the 14 killed on March 14 as "the government does not have the resources".

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said at the Writers' Building that the Left Front government did not have funds to compensate those injured or maimed.

He said he would use the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to pay Rs 5,000 for every house that was burnt down and Rs 2,000 for every house damaged, as well as Rs 1,000 to the families to buy household goods lost in the conflict.

Asked about the high court order on compensation, Home Secretary PR Roy said, "The government has to abide by the court order on compensation."

On the court dismissing the state government's arguments on police firing, he said: "We have not received a copy of the order."