An Ashoka Chakra awardee will be paid Rs 12,000 a month, up from Rs 6,000. Ashoka Chakra is the highest peace-time gallantry award. PTI file

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 6

In an important decision, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has doubled the honorarium for gallantry awardees. The monies will be admissible from August 1.A notification of the MoD signed on December 4 says the highest war-time gallantry awardee of the Paramvir Chakra, will get Rs 20,000 per month, up from Rs 10,000 being paid as of now.An Ashoka Chakra awardee will be paid Rs 12,000 a month, up from Rs 6,000. Ashoka Chakra is the highest peace-time gallantry award.

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New honorarium for Maha Vir Chakra and Kirti Chakra will be Rs 10,000 and Rs 9,000, respectively. This has also been doubled. A Vir Chakra awardee will be getting Rs 7,000, a Shaurya Chakra awardee Rs 6,000 while a Sena medal, Nao Sena medal and Vayu Sena medal awardee will get Rs 2,000 per month.The award will be dispensed to the widow of the awardee in case the awardee is dead. In case the awardee was a bachelor, the award will be paid to the father and mother.The previous enhancement was made in 2012.On the other hand, the MoD is reconsidering the cap it imposed on the fees paid for children of martyrs. The MoD had imposed a cap of Rs 10,000 per month and this would have impacted 3,200 children studying in various stages of their education, including in professional colleges.