The government of West Bengal would buy two of the closed Saradha television channels, the state's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Thursday.

The two television channels to be acquired by the state government are: Tara News and Tara Muzik, which were a part of Sudipta Sen-promoted Saradha Group that recently went bust, throwing hundreds of employees out of work.

Announcing the decision, Banerjee said, "We have decided to acquire Tara Muzik and Tara News on humanitarian grounds."

Banerjee also announced that each of the 168 employees of the two television channels would be given an ex gratia of Rs 16,000 as May salary.

The CM, however, declared that the government would in no case take the liability of the two channels, which amounted to the tune of more than Rs 6 crore.

The notices to close the channels were served on 15th of April, after Saradha group went bust. However, the channels remained operational even after 25th of April as employees refused to accept the closure notices.

The Left Front in the state has welcomed the decision, but it also argued if the planned acquisition of the channels by the government was appropriate when probe was going on and the issue was in court.