Patna, Jan. 21: Setting an example, the Bihar government has made the parents of minors killed or injured in Naxalite or terrorist attacks eligible for the government compensation.

As per the new provisions, the parents of the minors killed in such incidents would be given Rs 1 lakh as ex gratia. Those injured would be paid Rs 20,000 as compensation. If any victim is declared disabled after any such incident, his/her parents and dependants would be paid Rs 50,000 as compensation, the official said. Earlier, only the dependants of the adults killed or injured in Naxalite or terrorist incidents were liable for the government compensation.

“The state government has made certain amendments in the provisions of the compensation for those killed in Naxalite or terrorist attacks or death in police custody,” said a senior home department official. The official clarified that the parents or dependents of the minors killed or injured in real police encounters or involved in criminal or terrorist activities would not get the benefits of the new policy.

Sources in the home department said the amendments had been made in the prescribed norms for the government compensation in the wake of death of over half a dozen school children in a landmine explosion in Aurangabad district during the Assembly elections last year. They died when they came in contact with a powerful can bomb, which suddenly went off at Pachokhar village on November 21 last year. The bomb planted by the Maoists was dumped by security personnel in a field after they failed to defuse it.

The official said all the district magistrates had been directed to maintain impartiality in award of compensation amount to the victims’ parents. “The compensation amount should he handed over to the affected families within 15 days of receipt of the inquiry report of the police or post-mortem report,” he added.

The government has also declared to give Rs 1 lakh as compensation if cement houses collapse in any Naxalite or terrorist attack. For mud houses, the victims would get Rs 50,000.

For extensive damage to buildings both in urban and rural areas, the victims would be paid Rs 30,000 as compensation. In the case of partial damage, the compensation amount would be not more than Rs 5,000. The residents of the Maoist-affected Pachokhar village had fought a pitched battle with the district and police officials when the latter visited the spot to take the bodies of the children for post-mortem.

The government later ordered an inquiry into the incident by development commission K.C. Saha and additional director-general (homeguards) U.S. Dutt.

The report, however, gave a clean chit to the district magistrate and the superintendent of police of Aurangabad.