Delhi govt to give Rs 1 crore ex-gratia to kin of security personnel, firefighter

The Delhi government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore each to the kin of four security personnel, a civil defence volunteer, and a firefighter who lost their lives in the line of duty, officials said on Tuesday.

Revenue Minister Atishi said the scheme covers personnel from various branches to ensure that the families of those who dedicate their lives to protecting people are supported and cared for. The Delhi government provides an honorarium amount of Rs 1 crore to the families of all uniformed personnel residing in Delhi or deployed in Delhi, who showed bravery and lost their lives in the line of duty, she said.

Of the six personnel, two are from the Indian Army, two from the Delhi Police, and one each from the Delhi Civil Defence and Delhi Fire Service. Captain Jayant Joshi, a co-pilot in the Indian Army’s 254 Army Avn Squadron, was killed on August 3, 2021, during a helicopter sortie when his chopper crash-landed in the Ranjit Sagar Dam. His body was found after nearly 75 days.

Assistant sub-inspector Om Prakash, deployed at the Okhla Industrial Area Police Station, was killed while trying to stop three motorcycle-borne men from escaping after violating rules.

Major Raghunath, a resident of Dwarka, was part of the 3rd Battalion of the Indian Army’s Parachute Regiment (Special Forces). Participating in an operation to thwart a potential infiltration bid on May 5, 2022, he slipped and fell into a nullah near the line of control. He suffered a serious head injury and was declared dead by doctors.

Puneet Gupta, a civil defence volunteer, was run over by a truck while firefighter Praveen Kumar was killed while dousing a blaze at a factory in Bhorgarh in north Delhi. Both the incidents took place in 2021.

Assistant sub-inspector Radhe Shyam was killed when he was hit by a truck in north Delhi’s Burari in 2020.

The decision to award ex-gratia amount was made following a recent Group of Ministers meeting where the names of these personnel were recommended for significant recognition. The ex-gratia amount was approved by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Atishi said.

”We believe in providing a safety net that allows them to face the future with resilience and dignity,” she said.