Kolkata, Feb 22 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of four minors who died allegedly after a mound of earth caved in during drainage expansion work near the India-Bangladesh border in Uttar Dinajpur district, a senior official said.
Banerjee gave instructions in this regard to the officials concerned, he said.
"The chief minister decided that compensation would be provided to the families of the children who died in Chopra. She gave instructions in this regard to the officials concerned," the official said.
Incidentally, Governor C V Ananda Bose also announced financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased after visiting Chopra on Tuesday.
On February 12, four children, aged between five and 12, were buried alive when a mound of soil caved in and fell on them when an excavator was digging a trench in Chetanagach village in Chopra block.
The construction work was carried out by the Border Security Force (BSF).
The mishap took a political turn when Banerjee held the BSF responsible for the incident, alleging negligence leading to the deaths of the four minors.
A team of TMC leaders had met Bose at Raj Bhavan and demanded an investigation into the incident and also urged him to visit Chopra.