Kolkata, Aug. 30 -- West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari handed over appointment letters for jobs to one member of each of the families of the nine fishermen who died in the 'Joy Maa Kali' trawler mishap in the Bay of Bengal in July.
The appointment letters were handed over at Digha police station in East Midnapore, fulfilling an assurance made by the Chief Minister to provide employment assistance to the bereaved families. Eligible young members were given appointment letters for jobs as Home Guards, civic volunteers or in the local administration, depending on their qualifications.
The Chief Minister, who shared pictures of the handover on social media, wrote, "Today at Digha police station, I handed over appointment letters for Home Guard jobs, on behalf of the government, to one member from each of the families of the nine fishermen who died after the Joy Maa Kali trawler met with an accident in the mid-sea.
"This initiative by the state government aims to secure their future by standing by them during difficult times."
Adhikari added that the government's commitment to stand by the families and extend support to them would continue in the coming days.
The Joy Maa Kali had set out from Shankarpur fishing harbour in Digha, East Midnapore, on July 2 with 15 fishermen on board. Contact with the vessel was lost after July 5, triggering a massive search operation. After eight days of searching, the trawler was located near Bagher Char, around 35 km off the Bakkhali coast in South 24-Parganas.
According to police sources, the vessel had gone missing amid inclement weather after setting out for fishing from Shankarpur. A joint operation involving police from Gobardhanpur Police Station, the Forest Department and the Indian Coast Guard eventually located the trawler and brought it to Sitarampur. Following an overnight search, the bodies of nine fishermen were recovered from inside the vessel.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, both the Centre and the state government announced financial assistance for the affected families.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each person killed in the accident. The injured were also promised financial assistance of Rs 50,000 each for treatment.
The Bengal government had already provided Rs 5 lakh in financial assistance to the families of the deceased.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.