West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari presented the Justice Chatterjee Commission report on the 1993 police firing in the Assembly. The report termed the firing as unnecessary and recommended compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 5 lakh to the injured.
Kolkata (West Bengal) [भारत]July 20 (ANI): West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday presented the Justice Sushant Kumar Chatterjee Commission report on the July 21, 1993 police firing in the state Assembly and announced that a compensation of Rs 25 lakh would be given to the families of those killed and Rs 5 lakh to the injured. This is in line with the recommendations of the Commission.
Addressing the Assembly, the official said the commission’s report was submitted long ago and as per the established procedure, it is being formally placed before the House before making it public. “The commission had submitted its report long ago. The rule is that after receiving the report of any commission, it should be presented before the Cabinet and then presented in the Assembly. The Assembly is a temple for us, the biggest temple of democracy. I am submitting it to the Secretary. Those who want the operative part of it can get a photocopy by writing a letter as per the rules,” the official said.
What is in the commission’s report?
Referring to the findings of the Justice Sushant Kumar Chatterjee Commission set up in 2011 to probe the July 21, 1993 firing, the Chief Minister said the panel examined 44 witnesses, including former senior bureaucrats, police officers and political leaders. The official said the commission concluded that there was no justification for the police firing and found that an adequate executive investigation was not conducted. He said the report found that the perceived threat to the Writers’ Building was “imaginary” and that the firing at Mayo Road, Dorina Crossing, Metro Cinema and Esplanade East was “unnecessary, unprovoked and illogical”.
Commission recommended compensation
Highlighting the recommendations, the official said the commission had proposed a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 5 lakh for the injured, and also recommended recognition of the deceased as martyrs. He said, “You gave Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 15,000 to the injured, whereas the Commission had recommended Rs 25 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 5 lakh to the injured. If the affected families ask for compensation as recommended by the Commission, I will provide that compensation from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.”
What was the matter of 21 July 1993?
The July 21, 1993 agitation, which was led by Mamata Banerjee as the then West Bengal Youth Congress chief, was demanding mandatory photo voter identity cards to prevent electoral malpractices. Police opened fire during a protest near the Writers’ Building, killing 13 Youth Congress workers. Trinamool Congress observes July 21 every year as ‘Martyrs’ Day’ in memory of those killed. (ANI)
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