Srinagar, Nov 29 (IANS): Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor, Girish Chandra Murmu, on Friday announced a special ex-gratia of Rs 30 lakh for the next of kin of Sheikh Zahoor Ahmed, a Junior Agriculture Extension Officer who was killed by militants while performing his duty during the Back to Village-2 (B2V2) programme in Hakura village in Anantnag on November 26.

The Lt. Governor observed that such inhuman and dastardly acts won't deter the government in its resolve to reach out to the people and usher a new era of participatory development in the Valley.

"We condemn the barbaric act. We pay our rich tributes to the departed souls, who laid down their lives in the call of duty during a special welfare programme of the government under the Mission of Delivering Governance and Development at Doorsteps. The noble souls will be in our prayers and thoughts. We express our deepest sympathies with the bereaved families and pray for their courage and fortitude to bear the loss," the Lt. Governor said.

At the conclusion of the B2V event in Hakura, terrorists had lobbed a grenade and fired indiscriminately in which, Sheikh Zahoor Ahmad and the Sarpanch of Hakura had sustained injuries. They later succumbed to their injuries at the district hospital in Anantnag. Two other government employees also sustained injuries in the attack.

Meanwhile, the Lt. Governor has directed the Rural Development Department to speedily process the compensation case for the next of kin of the late Sarpanch, Syed Mohammad Rafi.

Murmu has further directed the Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir to ensure that the two injured employees receive the best medical treatment.