Siliguri: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday met family members of Indian Army personnel who lost their lives during the landslide in Manipur's Tupul back in July this year. Singh also provided cheques worth Rs 7 lakh each to every martyr's wife during the program 'Virangana Samman Samaroh' held at the Bengdubi military base near Siliguri.
"Several jawans of our territorial Army had been martyred in the incident. The bodies of 35 soldiers have been recovered, but one has not been traced yet. We cannot put a price on anyone's life, and any amount stands dwarfed compared to their sacrifice.
However, according to my knowledge, an amount of anywhere between Rs 1 crore 33 lakh and Rs 1 crore 52 lakh has been provided to the affected families. I have also promised to stand by them as the Defence Minister at any cost," Singh said.
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Meanwhile, Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government over its compensation decision. Speaking to ETV Bharat, Bista said he did not wish to 'do politics' over the matter, but noted that the Chief Minister's offer of providing jobs as home guards to wives of fallen soldiers was 'an insult.
"I do not want to politicise the matter. However, I feel pained that a small state such as Manipur is providing Rs five lakh as compensation for their soldiers, but when it comes to West Bengal, only Rs two lakh is being given by the government," Bista said.
"Somewhere along the line, this estimation of their sacrifice is wrong. Yesterday, when the Chief Minister invited the family members to Kolkata and proposed giving them jobs as home guards, it amounted to a deep insult. Giving highly educated young women a home guard's job amounts to sprinkling salt on their wounds. I wholeheartedly oppose this" he also noted.
