Mamata Banerjee announces Rs 2 lakh compensation for dead labourers

MIDNAPORE: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced a compensation of Rs two lakh to the next of kin of the nine labourers of the state, who were killed when an effluent tank at a tannery in Vellore collapsed, a senior police officer said today.

West Midnapore Superintendent of Police Bharati Ghosh said the nine labourers of West Bengal killed in the tannery effluent tank collapse belong to West Midnapore district and were residents of Garbeta police station area of the district.

The Chief Minister has also directed that the funeral cost of the deceased workers would be borne by the West Midnapore district administration, the SP said.

The Superintendent of Police also announced that the West Midnapore District Police would also hand over Rs 10,000 to the next of kin of the deceased labourers.

Ghosh said the bodies of the labourers were being brought to West Midnapore district for their last rites.

Ten labourers, including nine hailing from West Bengal, were killed when an effluent tank at a tannery collapsed near Vellore today.

The labourers were sleeping under the tank when it collapsed this morning at the private tannery in Ranipet in the district.