Wednesday, January 11 2006 14:22 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kalinga Nagar (Orissa): United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi today (Jan 11,2006) said the death of 12 tribals here in police firing was a 'great tragedy' and announced that the Centre would give Rs five lakh to the next of kin of each of the dead.

The central compensation would be in addition to that being given by the state Government (also Rs five lakh), she told newsmen here during her visit here.

''My sympathies are with the bereaved families. Congress has always been with the tribals since the days of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi,'' she said.

During her visit along with Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Union Home Secretary V K Duggal she met the family members of the tribals and talked to the children and consoled them.

Interacting with the tribals, blocking NH 200 for the last ten days since the police firing on January 2, she said special attention would be given to the problems of tribals.

''We are looking into the matter,'' Patil said.

Earlier Gandhi, along with Patil and Duggal flew in here from Bhubaneswar in an Indian Air Force helicopter and paid floral tributes at the spot where the slain tribals were cremated.

The tribals, who had gathered at the spot, welcomed her enthusiastically and later submitted a memorandum of demands to her.

The 12 tribals were killed in firing when they clashedwith the police over commencement of work on a piece of land on which the Tata Steel is to set up a six million tonne steel project.