The minister administers some balm

NAGPUR: State home minister R R Patil, who is also guardian minister of Gadchiroli, assured family members of the martyrs' that senior officials of the rank of deputy superintendent of police would be henceforth looking into their grievances. Patil, who met the martyrs' kin at the office of the district collector on Tuesday, also promised them that he would take up their issues at the government level on priority.

"It was a brief meeting in which the home minister enquired about the martyrs' children, and about issues like hospital and medical expenses and other benefits received by martyrs' families. There were kin of the policemen who lost lives prior to 2005, demanding compensatory packages at par with the ones whose nearest ones were killed in 2009. Patil assured that their issues would be taken up at the highest level," said Harsha Durge, whose husband Santosh was killed in an ambush by Naxals at Hatti Gota on May 21 last year.

S Jayakumar, Gadchiroli SP, said that earlier the grievances redressal cell was being headed by an officer of sub-inspector level. "The cell would try to meet the family members at least twice a month. The practice was followed earlier too," said Jayakumar.

Dhanora residents Naresh Borgiwar and Balu Undirwade too were gladdened. "Patil visited government offices and spoke to people at Murumgaon," said Undirwade, appreciating Patil's down-to-earth attitude. "He visited a school and entered the class after leaving his shoes outside."
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