The power to approve an honourarium to those arrested under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) will be vested with the district collectorate, stated the government resolution.
The BJP-led Maharashtra government has declared a monthly pension of Rs 10,000 to honour those who were imprisoned during Emergency, imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from June 25, 1975 to March 31, 1977.
The policy was framed as per the recommendation of a sub-committee constituted in February.
A government resolution stated, “Those imprisoned during Emergency for more than a month would be given a monthly honourarium of Rs 10,000, and their partners will get Rs 5,000 per month after their death. A monthly honourarium of Rs 5,000 will be given to those imprisoned for less than a month and their partners would be given an honourarium of Rs 2,500 every month after their death”.
The power to approve an honourarium to those arrested under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) will be vested with the district collectorate, stated the government resolution. The district collectorate will have to submit a list of beneficiaries to the state government.
Those wishing to avail the pension will have to give details of the period during which they were imprisoned, and of the prison they were in. The applicant will also have to give a declaration stating he/she has not taken any honourarium from the government in the past.
If the information furnished by an applicant is found to be false or incorrect, they will have to return the honourarium amount to the government and also pay a penalty. If they furnish false documents to avail the benefit, police action can be initiated against them.
Earlier, the governments of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan had also decided to honour those arrested during Emergency. The sub-committee in Maharashtra had decided the criteria, terms and conditions for the beneficiaries after carrying out comparative study of the schemes implemented in these states.