West Bengal awards 140 policemen

KOLKATA - A total of 140 West Bengal policemen were awarded meritorious service medals by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee here Tuesday.

Five persons, including the officer-in-charge of Sarenga police station in Bankura Rabi Lochan Mitra, who was killed by the Maoists Feb 24, were awarded the Shaurya (gallantry) medal.

The other recipients of the Shaurya medal included two riflemen of Eastern Frontier Rifles’ (EFR) Second Battalion Arjun Singh Thakuri and Suraj Bahadur Thapa, who were killed Feb 15 after a Maoist squad attacked their camp at Silda in West Midnapore district.

Lance Naik of EFR Second Battalion Lalbahdur Pradhan, who sustained bullet injuries in his legs during the Silda attack, was also awarded for killing three attackers.

Another constable Etaherul Islam of fourth battalion Specially Trained Armed Company (STRACO) force of the state armed police, who fought 30 to 35 Maoist guerrillas and was killed June 27, was awarded posthumously.

Ten policemen were given Nishtha Medals, while Prashansa Medals and Sewa Medals were given to 50 and 75 policemen respectively.

The chief minister also awarded Bagdogra police station of Darjeeling district and Bankura district as the best kept police station and best kept district for the year 2009 respectively.

“Though the situation in the Maoist infested districts has improved, still police have to work in this area with lots of risk and constraints,” Bhattacharjee said.

“The state government has managed to provide Rs.15 lakh to the family of each policemen who have been killed by the Maoists. We have also managed to provide jobs to one of their family members,” he said.

“We need to improve the standard of living of policemen. So we are trying hard to provide good health service to everybody in the police force,” Bhattacharjee added.