Porters, Army’s best friends in high altitude areas, are in for a good deal. The Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that a welfare scheme is being worked out by which porters who help carry Army goods and machines at inhospitable terrains will be entitled to health insurance, regular wages, and a one-time severance allowance upto `1 lakh.
Other benefits, including education of their children in Army schools and canteen entitlement of up to ` 2000 per month, will also be extended to these porters, numbering almost 12000 across all branches of the armed forces.
Impressed by the efforts made by the Army to recognise the services of these porters who approached the apex court for getting regularised, the bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur, directed the Army and Centre to formalise the scheme in three weeks and present the final scheme to the Court on August 22.
Appearing for the Ministry of Defence, Additional Solicitor General PS Patwalia assured the Court that both the Defence Minister and Chief of Army Staff are of one mind to extend maximum benefits to the porters and the proposed scheme is a step in this direction. He informed the Court that the Army has maintained rolls of service of these porters, some of whom have been in service for past 10 years. He submitted that the scheme speaks short of regularisation but will assure minimum tenure of 10 years. In case, their services are severed, they will be entitled to a one-time payment of upto ` 1 lakh.
The bench, also comprising of Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, told Patwalia, "This scheme should give these porters hope for future. After 10 years the fruits will come to you as they constitute a large number." The bench also hinted that such porters serving in the high altitude terrains are the Army's best bet for any kind of help. These persons have to remain with the Army far away from their homes for days together, the bench added.