Nitish Kumar condoles drowning deaths during Chhath, announces ex-gratia compensation of Rs 4 lakh to families

Patna: Expressing grief over the deaths caused by drowning during the Chhath festival in the state, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday announced an ex-gratia of Rs four lakh to family members of each deceased person. [caption id=“attachment_4097301” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. PTI[/caption] Condoling the deaths, the chief minister directed all the respective District Magistrates to ensure expeditious payment of the ex-gratia, an official release said here. Over a dozen people drowned while offering prayers on the concluding day of the Chhath festivities in Bihar on Friday. Four deaths were reported from Bhagalpur district, three from Samastipur, two from Araria and one each from Arwal, Sitamarhi, Madhepura, Aurai and Vaishali districts. In Bhagalpur district, three persons drowned in Kahalgaon police station area, Radha Mohan Singh, Circle Officer of Kahalgaon said. In Samastipur district, two siblings, a boy aged 13 and a girl aged 10, drowned in a village pond