Encountering a stream of grieving family members with one of them even fainting before receiving a posthumous gallantry medal, home minister P Chidambaram today asked the CISF to give a detailed report on the assistance provided to the ten personnel killed in the Naxal attack at NALCO mines in Orissa last year.
Chidambaram, who was awarding gallantry medal winners of the force including ten families of the martyrs of the CISF during its raising day here, was met by sobbing relatives.
"I have spoken to everyone of them... everyone of them has either got a job or has got... they have all been given compensation, they have been given a job... in one case the lady told me... I couldn't quite understand," he told reporters when asked about his interaction with the family members, many of whom he was seen consoling.
"I have now asked (from the CISF authorities) for a list of the ten martyrs, the ten next of kin and what job is being given to the ten families. I think one of them... there is some problem about a job which would be sorted out by Saturday," he said.
Rita Devi, sister of slain CISF constable Lalit Kumar, fainted while she was accompanying her mother Munesh Devi to receive her brother's gallantry medal.
Chidambaram promptly took a few steps ahead in a bid to help the girl himself even before other officers rushed towards her.
Chidambaram then consoled a grieving Munesh Devi while he asked CISF Director General N R Das to apprise him about the assistance that the force had extended to her family.
The home minister also went down from the ceremonial dais after two other women relatives of the martrys could not climb up as they were sobbing inconsolably.
Every time he was asked by Chidambaram, Das explained about the assistance that had been provided and at times even asked the particular family member about it.
Asked about the delay in providing help to the kin of a martyr, whom Chidambaram had spoken about, Das said one of them had requested for a petrol pump.
He said the force has sent the request to the Union Home Ministry. Officials later said the woman who sought the petrol pump was provided with a job as a head constable on Monday.
A contingent of 26 CISF men had battled for almost ten hours against about 400 naxals on April 12 last year, which ended with the killing of 10 of these securitymen.
Chidambaram was also seen asking senior Home ministry officials including home secretary GK Pillai and Special secretary (Internal Security) U K Bansal to facilitate the information from the CISF headquarters.
During his speech, Chidambaram said he will ensure the welfare of jawans and their family members. The home minister also talked to other gallantry award winners during the event.
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