A total of 307 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles (AR) personnel sacrificed their lives in the line of duty for the nation in the last five years, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Rai shared the information while replying to a query of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP KRN Rajeshkumar, mentioning 27 of the 307 personnel sacrificed their lives in 2021; 39 in 2020; 90 in 2019; 75 in 2018; and 76 in 2018.
Of the 307 troops, 180 were deployed in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 49 in Border Security Force (BSF), 37 in Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), seven each in Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), and 27 in Assam Rifles.
The minister answered when asked by DMK leader Rajeshkumar "whether it is a fact that a large number of paramilitary personnel have sacrificed their lives for the nation".
Informing about the benefits available to the Next of Kin (NoK) of CAPFs and Assam Rifles personnel killed on duty, the minister said the Central ex-gratia lump sum compensation has been enhanced with effect from January 1, 2016 from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 35 lakh for death on active duty and from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 lakh for death on duty.
The NoK of the deceased are entitled to get Liberalized Family Pension under Central Civil Service (Extra Ordinary Pension) Rules, 1939, said the MoS.
All service benefits like Death-cum-Retirement Gratuity (DCRG), Leave Encashment, Central Government Employees Group Insurance Scheme (CGEGIS), General Provident Fund (GPF) are admissible.
Each of the forces has set up force-level welfare schemes for their personnel such as Benevolent Funds, Financial Assistance and Scholarship to the children for education, financial assistance for daughter's and sister's marriage.
'Bharat ke Veer' is an online portal which enables people to donate voluntarily to the NoKs of CAPF personnel who sacrifice their lives. Such contributions are made online directly to the accounts of NoKs, said the minister. "In addition, funds received in Bharat Ke Veer corpus are also distributed to the NoKs of such personnel."
'Operational Casualty Certificate' (OCC) are given to the NoKs of CAPFs personnel killed in action on the lines of 'Battle Casualty Certificate' in Armed Forces. OCC entitles NoKs to certain benefits like Air and Rail travel fare concession, allotment of Petrol Pumps, etc on the lines of benefits available to NoKs of the Armed Forces personnel.
Under Prime Minister Scholarship Scheme (PMSS), an amount Rs 3,000 per month for girls and Rs 2,500 per month for boys is released to the wards of serving and ex-CAPFs, Assam Rifles and National Security Guard (NSG) personnel.
Many states and Union Territories have also made provisions to pay compensation and assistance to NoKs as per their rules.
( With inputs from ANI )
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