Friday, August 19 2005 19:52 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Within a week of its formation, a Committee constituted to provide employment and livelihood to the anti-Sikh riot victims of 1984 held its first meeting in New Delhi today (Aug 19, 2005).

The meeting, chaired by Secretary (Home Ministry) D K Sankaran, was attended by the representatives of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttranchal, Punjab and Delhi.

The representatives gave an account of steps already taken in their states for relief and rehabilitation, an official spokesman said here.

An official of the Union Finance Ministry also attended the meeting, he said and added that the next meeting will be held in about two weeks.

The Government had on last weekend constituted two committees to implement assurances given by it in Parliament with regard to payment of compensation and other kinds of relief to victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The other committee will go into the adequacy and uniformity of compensation given to the surviving family members of those killed in riots.

This committee is headed by K P Singh, Special Secretary in the Home Ministry, and will comprise Secretaries in charge of relief in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, Uttaranchal, Jharkhand and Chattishgarh and representatives of the Finance Ministry.