Berhampur/Bhubaneswar, July 14: The chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, P.L. Punia, today suggested Rs 20-lakh compensation to the families of each of the tribals who were killed in the alleged crossfire between the security forces and Maoists in Gumudumaha forest in Kandhamal on July 8.

Punia today met the injured firing victims, their relatives, eye-witnesses, villagers of Gumudumaha and some local political leaders at Baliguda. He also talked to the driver of the auto-rickshaw, Jahan Majhi, who told him that "there was firing from only one side and that there was no exchange of fire between the security personnel and the Maoists".

Punia also met Sunita Digal, the mother of two year-old Gehes Digal, who was killed in the firing. She reportedly told Punia: "I do not know why the police opened fire on us." Sunita and her husband also suffered bullet injuries in the firing.

Opposition parties have also raised questions on the constitution of the special investigation team under the supervision of the additional director general of police Mahendra Pratap to conduct the investigation into the Kandhamal incident. "How could the state government entrust the supervision of investigation into such a sensitive incident to a police officer against whom two departmental proceedings were pending for negligence in duty", asked BJP leader Bijoy Mohapatra.

Congress leader Narasingha Mishra said: "The state government has deliberately assigned the task to him to dilute the investigation".

BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb, on the other hand, said: "The investigation will be free and fair." BJP state president Basanta Panda has demanded that the investigation into Kandhamal firing should be conducted by the National Investigation Agency to ensure that the probe is neutral.

Tomorrow, a three-member delegation of the BJP Parliamentary Party headed by party's national vice-president and MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe is scheduled to visit Kandhamal. They will be accompanied by former chief minister and veteran tribal leader Giridhar Gamang. They would go to Gumudumaha village to meet the bereaved family members and villagers on the next day. Coinciding with this a delegation of Congress MLAs of the state will visit the area tomorrow.