The cabinet meeting on Wednesday decided to provide Rs one million each to the family of four people who died in police firing in Saptari.

Four persons died when police opened fire at protestors after the cadres from Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) attempted to disrupt the CPN-UML’s Mechi-Mahakali awareness campaign in Saptari on Monday.

Three people had died on Monday while another person was reported dead while undergoing treatment at the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan on Wednesday.

The meeting also reviewed the Saptari incident and security challenges. Hridaya Ram Thani, Minister for Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, said PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal directed Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi to exercise restraint on the ground at a time when the government has announced local polls.

The government has already declared free treatment to the people injured in the incident who are receiving medical attention at Dharan-based BPKIHS.