Gujarat govt hikes compensation for martyr's kin to ₹1 cr as ex-servicemen agitate
Premium- The Gujarat government has significantly increased the compensation for the martyred soldiers' kin to 1 crore just as the ex-servicemen in the state agitated
Amid the protest by the ex-servicemen, the Gujarat government on Monday hiked the compensation for the kin of martyred soldiers from ₹1 lakh to 1 crore and in cash prizes offered to gallantry medal winners in an apparent bid to placate the agitating ex-servicemen in the state. The Gujarat government has increased the compensation from the current ₹1 lakh to ₹1 crore.
The announcement came just as 500 ex-servicemen from Gujarat gathered in Gandhinagar to protest for their long-pending demands, including higher compensation for families of the martyred soldiers to ₹1 crore.
While the government has agreed to the demanded compensation of ₹1 crore, the ex-servicemen have also asked the government to accept all their 14 demands and issue a Government Resolution (GR).
Jitendra Nimavat, president of Gujarat's ex-Armymen Union, said, "We are not aware of such an announcement by the government. We will believe it only when a minister approaches us and tells us what exactly the government has decided on our demands. We want the government to issue a GR. We will not stop our agitation until all our demands are met."
The government release also informed that the monthly compensation to martyred soldier’s widow has been increased from ₹1,000 to ₹5,000. The release also mentioned that each child of a martyr, with a maximum of two children, would now get monthly assistance of ₹5,000 till they finish their studies or turn 25 years of age. They used to get ₹500.
The state government currently pays ₹50,000 as one-time compensation and monthly assistance of ₹500 to each parent of an unmarried martyr. Now, parents would get ₹5 lakh as one-time compensation and ₹5,000 as monthly assistance for each of them, said the release.
The cash prize for the recipients of Param Vir Chakra has been hiked from ₹22,500 to ₹1 crore, the government release said. The Ashok Chakra awardee will now get ₹1 crore. They used to get ₹20,000.
The release said a high-level committee of IAS officers would discuss other demands of ex-servicemen and submit their report to the state government for final decision.
Former soldiers of Gujarat have been holding protests at regular intervals to get the government to accept their long-pending demands. They had held a rally from Ahmednagar to Gandhinagar in June.
Some of the other major demands include pension for the family, government job to one member of the family of each martyr, and strict implementation of reservations in government jobs from class 1 to 4 for retired Army personnel. The agitators also want a martyrs' memorial in Gandhinagar, agricultural land for retired army men as per rules, priority while issuing or renewing a gun licence, and removal of contract system in jobs offered to former army personnel.
(With inputs from agencies)
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