PATNA: Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday announced that in addition to Rs 11 lakh payable to next of kin of the two CRPF personnel from state, who sacrificed their lives in Pulwama terror attack, an additional amount of Rs 25 lakh each will be paid from the CM Relief Fund. This is probably the first time that the state government has announced additional financial assistance for the next of kin of the martyrs.The CM made this announcement soon after paying tributes to the two slain CRPF jawans – Ratan Kumar Thakur from Ratanpur village in Bhagalpur and Sanjay Kumar Sinha from Masaurhi in Patna district – at Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport here. The mortal remains of the martyred jawans were brought to the airport in a special Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft around 9.50am.The CM said the DMs of Patna and Bhagalpur have been asked to assess the other requirements of the children of the two martyrs, including their educational expenses, so that the state government could bear the same.Martyr Sinha has left behind him his wife, two daughters – Ruby Kumari (24) and Vandana Kumari (22) – and son Om Prakash Kumar (19). Thakur, on the other hand, is survived by his pregnant wife and a four-year-old son.Patna DM Kumar Ravi said Sinha’s daughters are graduates and his son is preparing for medical entrance examination at Kota in Rajasthan.“We will communicate CM’s announcement to the family. Their financial requirements will be assessed soon,” he said.In June last year, the state government had increased the limit of ex gratia payment to paramilitary personnel from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 11 lakh.Meanwhile, deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi , Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, leader of opposition in state assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, road transport minister Nand Kishore Yadav, health minister Mangal Pandey , Union minister Ram Kripal Yadav, BJP state president Nityanand Rai, DGP Gupteshwar Pandey and several others paid floral tributes to the slain CRPF jawans at the Patna airport on Saturday.While Thakur’s mortal remains were carried to Bhagalpur from Patna airport in a special IAF helicopter, Sinha’s remains were taken to Masaurhi on a CRPF truck. The slain martyrs were cremated with full state honour in presence of large number of people, who raised slogans denouncing Pakistan.

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