PATNA: Bihar Government has decided to reopen the issue of Bhagalpur communal riot of 1989 and bring out a white paper incorporating details of actions taken by the Government to book the perpetrators of crime as well as payment of compensations to victims' families.

State Chief Secretary G S Kang told newspersons here on Saturday that a committee would be constituted under the chairmanship of home secretary to prepare the `white paper' which would complete the assignment within two to three weeks.

``The committee would catalogue the status of cases instituted against the accused and persons chargesheeted or let off so far besides ascertaining the exact number of riot victims and compensation to be paid to them,'' he said.

The committee would also recommend to the Government about the necessity of granting further compensation package to the relatives of the victims, he said and added that compensation had since been paid to the families of riot victims.

The RJD chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad had, however, refuted the allegations saying that steps were taken to book the culprits and action taken report (ATR) related to the riot were submitted in 1995.

The NDA decided to have a fresh look into the issue in tune with the its pledge to bring out a white paper on Bhagalpur riots once it came to power. - UNI

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