Victims’ kin move CM to tears

BY RABINDRA NATH CHOUDHURY

Bhubaneswar

July 20: Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday broke down while consoling the family members of the slain policemen at the district headquarters town of Malkangiri in south Orissa.

Seventeen policemen were killed when their anti-landmine vehicle was blown up by Maoists at MV-126 village in Malkangiri district on July 16.

It was a poignant scene at the Malkangiri SP office premises when the spouses of the slain policemen cried holding the chief minister’s hands.

Mr Patnaik could not control his emotions and broke down. In an emotionally choked voice, he said, "I am with you. I will take care of all of you, do not worry."

He could not hold his tears when an octogenarian woman, who lost her grandson in the Maoist attack, embraced him tightly crying inconsolably.

Mr Patnaik announced that the government will provide the family members homestead land and one person from each family of the killed policemen government jobs.

He also distributed compensation amounts to them. The families will get the entire salaries of the service period of the deceased.

He later interacted with the policemen there and patiently heard their grievances.

He assured them to fulfil all their demands at the earliest.

Earlier, Mr Patnaik held a meeting with the senior police officers of the district to review the situation in the wake of the deadly attack by the Maoists on the security personnel on July 16.

He asked them to be more vigilant to prevent recurrence of such type of tragedy. He said the government will soon take measures to strengthen the intelligence wing and recruit more jawans.