Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced a financial assistance of ₹10 lakh each for the families of the three tourists from West Bengal — Samir Guha, Bitan Adhikari, and Manish Ranjan — who were among the 26 killed in the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as for the family of Army Special Forces commando Havaldar Jhantu Ali Shaikh of 6 Para, who was killed in an encounter two days later.
“Three tourists from our state were killed in the terrorist attack in Kashmir and one army personnel was killed during an encounter. I am sure the Centre would announce some compensation for the victims’ families. We will give the four families ₹10 lakh each,” Mamata Banerjee said while addressing the media at the state secretariat.
She added that if the deceased are survived by both parents and a spouse, the compensation amount would be divided into ₹5 lakh each.
In a further gesture of support, Banerjee also announced a government job for one member from each of the four bereaved households. Additionally, she declared an extra monthly pension of ₹10,000 for the elderly parents of the victims to help them cope with the loss.
Among the deceased was Bitan Adhikari, a 40-year-old tech professional based in Florida, who had returned to Kolkata for a vacation. He had travelled to Kashmir on April 16 along with his wife Sohini and three-year-old son. The family had planned to return to Kolkata on the night of April 24, but the tragic incident cut their trip — and lives — short.
