Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot told reporters here that an ex-gratia payment of Rs one lakh was being paid to the widow or the immediate kin of the martyr and 25 bigha land would be allotted to them along the Indira Gandhi Canal Project (IGNP) area (I and II phase).

``If any beneficiary does not want to take land, the Government will provide a Middle Income Group (MIG) flat or Rs five lakh cash on demand,'' Gehlot said.

In the case of parents of the martyr who were aged, the Government would pay Rs one lakh to them in the form of a Fixed Deposit (FD) so that they could earn monthly interest for a livelihood, he said.

A job to the dependent would be kept as an option for one child of the martyr and the job's right would be reserved till the child became a adult, the Chief Ministersaid.

Martyrs' children would not only be given free education in schools, colleges and the technical field, but would also be awarded a scholarship ranging from Rs 1800-3600 per annum, he said.

Forty one soldiers, including a few officers, from the State have sacrificed their lives in Kargil so far, he said and added that six bodies were yet to be received by the bereaved families.

The Chief Minister said that besides providing priority-based power connection and free bus passes facility to the widow and one child, injured soldiers would also receive Rs 25,000 and 25 bigha land along the IGNP.

Totally disabled soldier's dependent would be provided a Government job, he said.

Replying to questions later, the Chief Minister said that his Government has opened 12,000 new primary schools under the Rajiv Gandhi Golden Jubilee Scheme in panchayat level.

The funds under the panchayati raj institutions were being utilised properly and the genuine applicants were given teaching jobs under each `gramsabha', he said.

The famine relief works would continue for the next 10 days as there is a delayed monsoon in the State, he said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu today supported Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, saying he had taken the ``right'' decision in turning down the US President Bill Clinton's invitation to visit Washington for talks on Kargil at an early date.

Asked for his reaction, Basu told newsmen at the State Secretariat that the Prime Minister's decision was justified.

He had earlier said India should never accept any third party mediation to resolve the Kargil issue and called for bilateral talks with Pakistan to discuss the matter.