New Delhi, October 23
The two committees constituted by the Home Ministry to provide proper compensation and jobs to Sikhs who suffered in the 1984 riots are likely to submit their reports this week.
Sources said the first committee, headed by Special Secretary in the Home Ministry K.P. Singh, whose terms of reference include examination of adequacy of compensation given to next of kin of those killed, may suggest that the compensation be raised and made uniform in different parts of the country.
The second committee, headed by Secretary (Border Management) D.K. Sankaran, which was tasked to look into the adequacy of relief and rehabilitation measures for the riot victims and work out details of additional relief in terms of livelihood support, was considering making recommendation about providing jobs in paramilitary forces to relatives of those killed in the riots.
The sources said the Sankaran committee was also exploring the possibility of enhancing compensation by 25 to 50 per cent to Sikh families, who lost property and factories during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Jobs for the next of kin of those killed might be given in Central paramilitary forces, including the CRPF, the BSF, the ITBP and the CISF, which were under the administrative control of the Home Ministry. The sources said the governments of states which had been affected by the riots, might also be requested to provide jobs.
The two committees were constituted by the UPA government in the middle of August to look into payment of compensation to the 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims and deal with the issue of providing additional livelihood to them after the report of the Nanavati Commission was tabled in the monsoon session of Parliament.
Over 3,000 Sikhs were killed in the riots in Delhi and other parts of the country and thousands were injured in the violence that broke out after the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. In Delhi, the next of kin of those killed were paid Rs 3.5 lakh while the amounts were much less in other places.
