The Maharashtra government has sanctioned Rs25 lakh to compensate the 65 victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Many Sikhs were killed and their properties damaged in the violence that followed the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.

Revenue minister Eknath Khadse told dna that most of the 1984 riot victims were missing and some of them had run away, leaving their properties behind. "The Central government had decided to help all these riot victims. So, we as a state government have also decided to compensate these victims. Most of the victims' properties were badly damaged in the riot. We had no list to compensate them. However, once the situation was normalised, they approached the court for help. As per the court order, we decided to aid these victims," Khadse said.

"The compensation proposal was tabled by the government and subsequently approved by the cabinet. A notification in this regard was issued last week. These 65 victims had not yet been compensated. Therefore, the government decided to give them relief," said a senior government official requesting anonymity. A copy of the compensation notification is in the possession of dna.

As per the notification, provision for compensation has been made and money will be released from the contingency fund. It will then be handed over to the respective district collectors. All these district collectors have to spend money from the sanctioned fund to compensate the riot victims.

Khadse said it was their prime responsibility to extend the help therefore this decision was also approved in the cabinet meeting recently.

Of the total 3,325 victims, as many as 2,733 were killed in Delhi alone, while the rest belonged to states like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

The Central aidThe Union government has decided to give Rs5 lakh each to the next of kin of the 3,325 victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The Narendra Modi government had received several petitions from various Sikh organisations in the last three months about the grievances of the victims' families. The fresh compensation is expected to cost the exchequer Rs166 crore.