Delhi Cabinet nod for `1cr aid to families of 6 bravehearts

The Delhi Cabinet on Friday approved a proposal to pay `1 crore compensation each to the families of six IAF, Delhi Police and civil defence personnel who died in the line of duty. The Delhi government said it stands with the families of all paramilitary, army, police and civil defence personnel residing in the city.

“The Kejriwal government will give a ‘’Samman Rashi’’ of Rs 1 crore each to the families of six bravehearts of Delhi who lost their lives in the line of duty. The decision was taken in the meeting of the Delhi Cabinet regarding the grant of the ex gratia to the families,” the chief minister’s office said in a statement.

The revenue department proposed to provide the compensation amount, which was approved by the Cabinet on the instructions of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

People of Delhi who lost their lives in the line of duty cannot be compensated, but their families will get some help from the amount given by the government to honour 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 defence wing.

Mr Kejriwal had in June lauded them and said he saluted these bravehearts for making the supreme sacrifice while guarding the country from “external or internal threats”.

His deputy Manish Sisodia while announcing the government’’s decision in June had said that the Kejriwal government stood “shoulder-to-shoulder with the families” of these bravehearts who attained ‘’martyrdom’’ while serving the country.

“Although loss of a soldier is irreparable, the Kejriwal government, after coming to power had launched the scheme to provide ex gratia to families of such personnel so it could become a source for them to live with dignity,” he had said.

From the Delhi police staff, one senior officer and a constable are among the list of the six men who died while performing their duty. ACP Sanket Kaushik lost his life during duty at Rajokri Flyover. A truck hit him while he was checking vehicles around the area, and he died on the spot, the statement said.