The West Bengal government on Thursday said that the families of the missing passengers in Jnaneswari Express disaster would be given compensation as announced. "Families of missing passengers of Jnaneswari Express disaster will be given compensation worth Rs two lakh each as announced by the state government. The matter relating to death certificates being a barrier for issuing compensation to the missing persons is being looked into," Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee told reporters. The disaster,occurred on May 28,claimed 148 lives. Of the deceased,39 bodies still remained unidentified. Problems emerged for issuing compensation to the missing persons by the state government in the absence of death certificates. Five of the 39 missing families met the state Home Secretary G D Gautama a few days ago and urged him to release compensation to them claiming that the railways had already given each of them Rs five lakh compensation as announced on the basis of some documents other than death certificates. Families of two victims Ajuddin Sheikh and Mahatab Fakir from Tehatta in Nadia district today came to the state secretariat urging compensation on the same ground.
