Pathankot attack: Punjab to give Rs 25 lakh, job to next of kin of two martyrs

Gurdaspur: Paying rich tributes to the security personnel who laid down their lives during the Pathankot terror attack, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday announced financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh and government job each for next of kin of two martyrs from the state - Honorary Captain Fateh Singh and Havildar Kulwant Singh.

The Chief Minister said that it was a modest effort of the state government to pay tribute to these brave hearts who made supreme sacrifice while protecting the unity and integrity of the nation.

"The state government will leave no stone unturned to bail these families out of the crisis in this hour of grief," Badal told reporters during his Sangat Darshan programme in Qadian assembly constituency here.

Badal said the state government was ready to help the family of any security personnel who lost his life during the attack, irrespective of the fact that whether he hails from Punjab or not.

He said he had asked state government officials to contact such families for extending a helping hand in this hour of crisis. "It is an onerous duty on our part to bail out these distressed families in this difficult time as they have sacrificed their lives to safeguard the nation's integrity and sovereignty," he said.

The Chief Minister appealed to the Centre "to plug all the loopholes at the border" to prevent any sort of intrusion of terrorists. He said it was high time that security is beefed up along the border to check cross-border terrorism.

"We will again take up this issue with the Union government to ensure that terror attacks like Dinanagar (in July last year) and Pathankot should not reoccur," he said.

Earlier, addressing public gatherings at Sanghar and Kang, the Chief Minister said that the state government has taken several initiatives for the well being of people.

Hitting out at the opposition Congress, the Chief Minister alleged that this party has done lot of injustice with the state by depriving of its capital, legitimate share in river waters and Punjabi speaking areas.