The Bengal government gave the bereaved Cooch Behar-based family of a youth allegedly gunned down by the Border Security Force — a central force — compensation of Rs 2 lakh.

North Bengal development minister Udayan Guha and Dinhata SDO Rehana Bashir reached Bharbandha village of the district on Monday, met the parents of the deceased Prem Kumar Barman and handed over the cheque of Rs 2 lakh.

On Saturday, the 24-yearold Prem, who his family claimed was a migrant worker and the BSF claimed was a cattle smuggler and among those who attacked BSF personnel, was allegedly shot dead by a BSF cop near the India-Bangladesh border.

“We cannot compensate their irreparable loss. But this money will help them in the coming days. Mamata Banerjee’s government has always stood by people in crisis and will do so,” said Guha.

Many elected representatives of panchayats also approached Guha, SDO Bashir and Trinamul’s Sitai MLA Jagadish Burma Basunia to complain about BSF “high-handedness”.

“We are well aware of it and will pass the information to authorities concerned for necessary intervention,” said the minister.

On Sunday, at the village, Guha demanded that the BSF be replaced by some other central security force, including the Indian army, at the India-Bangladesh border.

Prem’s mother Sukhmani Barman, who stopped eating after her son’s death, demanded steps against those who shot her son.

“We want justice. My son was killed for no reason. He was working in Bangalore and had simply come home,” she said.