West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya continued defending the actions of Communist Party of India � Marxist cadres in Nandigram on Wednesday, unfazed by the scathing attack by his coalition partners about his previous comments.

"I am saying today what I have said yesterday. Those who returned home merely followed the tactics of the opposition," said the chief minister,

Supporting CPI-M state secretary Biman Bose's statement that there was a 'new dawn in Nandigram', Bhattacharya said the government has allocated Rs one crore from the chief minister's relief fund.

 "The fund is being sent to the (East Midnapore) district magistrate. From this, Rs 1,000 would be given to the returning families for reconstruction of fully-damaged houses and Rs 500 for partially damaged ones. Each family would be given another Rs 1,000 for buying utensils," he said, adding that the funds would be given to the affected families irrespective of their political affiliation.