Chandigarh: The Punjab government has decided to raise the ex gratia payment to families of soldiers killed in action from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh. The state government took the decision on Thursday night saying "this is the least we can do for our brave" soldiers.
"Punjab Government has decided to increase the ex gratia amount for our soldiers killed in action from Rs 10 lakh to Rs. 50 lakh, along with a job to the Next-of-Kin," Chief Minister Amarinder Singh tweeted. "This is the least we can do for our brave servicemen who make the supreme sacrifice for our motherland," he said.
The state government gives Rs 10 to 12 lakh to the families of fallen soldiers. Besides, it also offers a government job to a next of kin of the martyr, hailing from Punjab. The decision of giving ex gratia of Rs 10 to 12 lakh to the family of a martyr was last taken in 1999.
On Wednesday, the CM had announced an ex gratia compensation of Rs 12 lakh each for the families of Naib Subedars Satnam Singh and Mandeep Singh and Rs 10 lakh each for Sepoys Gurtej Singh and Gurbinder Singh. Besides, a government job to a next of kin of the deceased was also announced.
Four soldiers, hailing from Punjab, were among twenty Army men killed in a clash with the Chinese troops at Galwan Valley in Ladakh. They were Naib Subedar Satnam Singh (Gurdaspur), Naib Subedar Mandeep Singh (Patiala), Sepoy Gurbinder Singh (Sangrur) and Sepoy Gurtej Singh (Mansa).
