NEW DELHI: The Delhi Cabinet on Friday approved a proposal to pay Rs 1 crore in compensation each to the families of six IAF, Delhi Police and Civil Defense who died on duty. The Delhi government said it stood with the families of all paramilitary, army, police and civil defense personnel living in the city.
“The Kejriwal government will give a ‘Samman Rashi’ of Rs 1 crore each to the families of six brave hearts of Delhi who have lost their lives in the ministry. The decision was made at the meeting of the Delhi cabinet on granting the ex-gratia to the families, “said the Prime Minister’s office in a statement.
The Ministry of Finance proposed providing the amount of compensation approved by the Cabinet on the instructions of Prime Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
People in Delhi who lost their lives in the ministry cannot be compensated, but their families will get some help from the amount the government gives to acknowledge their sacrifices, he said.
The six men include three from the Indian Air Force (IAF), two from the Delhi Police and one from the city’s civil defense wing.
Kejriwal had praised them in June, saying he saluted these brave hearts for making the ultimate sacrifice in protecting the country from “external or internal threats”.
His deputy, Manish Sisodia, had said when announcing the government decision in June that the Kejriwal government stood “shoulder to shoulder with the families” of those brave hearts who have achieved “martyrdom” in the service of the country.
“Although the loss of a soldier is irreparable, after the Kejriwal government came to power, it launched the program to provide voluntary benefits to families of these personnel so that they can live in dignity,” he said.
Among the six men who died while performing their duties are a senior officer and a policeman from the Delhi Police Department.
Deputy Police Commissioner Sanket Kaushik was killed while serving with Rajokri Flyover. A truck hit him while it was inspecting vehicles in the area and he died on the spot, the statement said.
Kaushik left behind his wife and three daughters who are now dependent on her for a living.
“And in order to honor his martyrdom and to support his family to lead a life in dignity, we have announced a voluntary payment of 1 crore rupee to his family,” the deputy prime minister had previously said.
Similarly, Vikas Kumar, a policeman with the Delhi Police Department, was on strike when a four-wheeler whose driver “knowingly increased the speed” hit him when asked to stop the vehicle.
Vikas was injured in the incident and was subsequently transferred to AIIMS, where he was pronounced dead.
From the Indian Air Force, Rajesh Kumar from Safdarjung was another such “martyr who lost his life in the service of the Air Force,” said the Prime Minister’s office.
Rajesh was on a plane that took off from Jorhat, Assam and later disappeared. His wreck was found in Arunachal Pradesh and he was subsequently found dead. He was only three months into his marriage, and therefore his family will also include the ‘Samman Rashi’.
From IAF, Flt Lt Sunit Mohanty was on the same flight as Rajesh Kumar. Mohanty was from Dwarka and also died in the plane crash while doing his duty. He lives with his family, including his elderly father, mother and younger sister, the government said.
In addition, Meet Kumar, a squadron commander in the Indian Air Force, died after his MIG-21 crashed during an operational flight in the Kangra Hills in Himachal Pradesh.
Civil Defense Personnel Pravesh Kumar was doing his duty in the evacuation of Mangolpuri when a truck rammed into him and fled, and he died. His family will also receive Rs 1 crore support, she added.
