Dues of slain jawans will be settled in a week, says CRPF

NEW DELHI: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Saturday said the pension and government dues of 12 CRPF men, who were killed in an attack by suspected Maoists in the insurgency-hit Sukma on March 11, will be settled in a week.

The CRPF issued the statement in response to Hindustan Times’ story Spotlight fades after massacre, kin of CRPF men left in the lurch.

The story highlighted the plight of families that were still coming to terms with their grief and fighting the grim economic reality of losing their only breadwinners.

Hindustan Times traced the families of five slain personnel to find out how they were still awaiting the promised compensations, and in one case, even the salary.

The statement said that the ex-gratia relief from the central government and compensation from CRPF Risk Fund, Welfare Fund, Immediate Relief Fund and other assistances worth ₹70 lakh had already been paid to each soldier killed in the attack.

“Their claims of ex gratia of home state and the state where they were serving have been forwarded to the concerned state authorities and they have been requested to process claims on priority. Further, their pension cases have also been processed and sent to the PAO (MHA), CRPF, New Delhi, for issuing of family pension payment order (PPO) number,” a CRPF public relationship officer said in a statement. “Since, there is a due process involved to settle LPA pension and government dues, PPO no will be issued by PAO(MHA) within a week. The CRPF is very sensitive and actively pursuing to settle family pension as well as all terminal dues of martyrs,” the statement added.

HT TRACED THE FAMILIES OF 5 SLAIN PERSONNEL TO FIND OUT HOW THEY WERE STILL AWAITING THE PROMISED COMPENSATIONS AND IN ONE CASE, EVEN SALARY