Nandigram injured get compensation

West Bengal government today paid Rs1 lakh each to 90 of the 159 persons injured in the Nandigram police firing in March 2007 following a Supreme Court directive.

Local block development officer handed over cheques to 81 persons and paid the sum in cash to eight others who did not have any bank account.

District magistrate Archna Meena said that the money was paid to 81 people and the other injured would also get the money.

Two days after the Supreme Court directed the government to pay compensation to the injured, the state government on October 29 issued an order for payment of compensation totalling Rs1.59 crore to those injured in the firing at Nandigram on March 14, 2007.

The state government has already paid compensation of Rs2 lakh each to three rape victims and 5 lakh each to the families of the 14 dead.

An apex court bench comprising Justices RV Raveendran and AK Patnaik had said on October 27 that despite the order directing the state to pay compensation to those injured, it has not been done.