West Bengal govt announces Rs 5 lakh ex gratia for families of trawler, Sikkim tunnel tragedy victims

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday, July 22, announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh and a civic volunteer job for one eligible member of the family of every West Bengal resident who died in the recent fishing trawler tragedy off the state's coast and the under-construction tunnel collapse in neighbouring Sikkim.

Making the announcement in the West Bengal Assembly, Adhikari expressed condolences to the bereaved families and said the state government would stand by them during the difficult time.

The announcement came after BJP MLA Chandrasekhar Mondal raised the issue of the fishing trawler that went missing in the Bay of Bengal on July 2 with several fishermen on board.

The trawler, based in Shankarpur in Purba Medinipur district, was located five days later after it capsized near Bagher Char off Kakdwip.

"So far, 11 decomposed bodies of fishermen have been recovered from the trawler, while four others remain missing," the Chief Minister said, describing the incident as a major tragedy.

According to the Chief Minister, most of the deceased fishermen belonged to the coastal districts of Purba Medinipur, Howrah and Nadia. He announced that the next of kin of each deceased fisherman would receive Rs 5 lakh in financial assistance, while one eligible family member would be appointed as a civic volunteer at the local police station.

Adhikari also extended the same compensation package to the families of West Bengal residents who lost their lives in the Sikkim tunnel collapse.

The tunnel accident in Sikkim's Namchi district claimed the lives of at least 20 workers, while five others remained trapped for more than 24 hours after the collapse, reportedly triggered by an explosion of suspected methane gas. Several workers from West Bengal were among those affected.

The Chief Minister said the West Bengal government was closely monitoring the rescue operation and had deputed two MLAs to Sikkim to coordinate with the local administration and facilitate assistance for the affected families.

Rescue operations inside the collapsed tunnel are continuing under challenging conditions, with waterlogging, slush and methane gas hampering efforts to retrieve bodies and locate those still trapped.