To woo around three lakh ex-servicemen in Haryana ahead of the parliamentary and Assembly elections, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Wednesday announced a steep hike in award money to those defence personnel who are recipients of country’s prestigious medals besides other sops to ex-servicemen.
laying the foundation stone of Haryana Ex-Services league Bhawan at Rohtak, Hooda announced that the amount of financial assistance to the recipients of medals including Paramvir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra and Vir Chakra have been increased to Rs 2 crore each, Rs 1 crore and Rs 50 lakh respectively. At present they are getting Rs 31 lakh, Rs 21 lakh and Rs 15 lakh each respectively.
Similarly, the amount of recipient of Sena Medal, Nausena medal, Vayu Sena Medal (bravery) would also get increased amount to Rs 21 lakh and recipient of Mention-in-Dispatches would get Rs 10 lakh now. Hooda further added that the amount of ex-gratia grant in case of death during war or terrorism and in case of death due to IED blast and rescue operation has also been increased to Rs 20 lakh. Recipients of Ashok Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra in the State would get increased financial assistance as Rs one crore, Rs 51 lakh and Rs 31 lakh respectively.
Hooda also announced to increase the financial assistance of veterans of World War-II, their widows and ex-servicemen and their widows as World War-II -Rs ,3000 per month, widows of veterans of World War-II Rs 3,000 per month, War widow Rs 2,000 per month, ex-servicemen of 60 years of age or above Rs 2,000 per month and widows of ex-servicemen Rs 2,000 per month.