Ex-Army men working in paramilitary to get equal compensation

In a decision that will benefit nearly 1,000 ex-army men working in different paramilitary forces on contract basis, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday ordered that in the event of a line-of-duty death such soldiers will get benefits akin to a regular personnel. As per the rules, next of kin of all regular personnel of the paramilitary forces like CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, SSB among others get Rs 15 lakh as compensation if one dies in fighting terrorists or Maoists or any adversaries.

However, ex-service men, who have joined the paramilitary forces do not get any compensation if they are killed in the line-of-duty as they are contractual employee and their service agreement do not provide for any financial benefits to the family members. "The Home Minister has personally intervened on the issue and removed the anomalies. Henceforth, next of kin of former army men will get the benefit if anyone of them is killed in line-of-action," a Home Ministry official said.

The issue was flagged before the Home Minister by the CRPF which referred the case of 11 CRPF personnel who were killed in an ambush by Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district in March this year. While family members of nine of the regular CRPF personnel got the compensation amount of Rs 15 lakh each but two did not get as they were former army men and employed to the CRPF on contract. The Home Minister ordered that the next of kin of the two martyrs - an Inspector and a head constable - be given the compensation amount.