WB government submits report on Nandigram to governor

The West Bengal government submitted a report on the current situation in trouble-torn Nandigram to Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi on Tuesday.

Home Secretary P R Roy met the governor along with Chief Secretary Amit Kiran Deb and DGP A B Vohra to submit the report. However, Roy refused to divulge the contents of the report.

Asked how many people had been killed in the violence, he said, "Four or five people have been killed in the last five days, but we didn't get the detailed report. With the CRPF entering the area, we might get the exact figure."

Asked whether any Maoists were nabbed from Nandigram, he replied in the negative.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, meanwhile, said that he would meet the governor during the day.

The Home Secretary said some CRPF personnel were deputed in Nandigram and some in Tamluk in the East Midnapore district headquarters. The government wanted the CRPF to continue in Nandigram for three months, but it seems that they would stay there for only a month, Roy said.

After discussions with both the CPI -M and the Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee, the administration has decided to set up 10 camps -- five of the CRPF and five of the state police -- in the vulnerable areas.

Roy said that an Inspector General and a Deputy Inspector General rank officer from the CRPF were at Nandigram, while state police officers of similar rank were nominated to oversee and monitor the deployment of the Central forces.

The implementation of the compensation package earlier announced by the state government for the 14 victims of the March 14 violence in the area would now be taken up, he said.

Most of the villagers had returned home and the remaining 500 to 600 people would be given protection, said the Home Secretary.

The National Human Rights Commission has also sought a report on Nandigram from the state government, Roy said.