Maximum limit of death-cum-retirement gratuity for government employees and judicial officers increased to Rs 25 lakh

Tribune News Service

The Haryana Cabinet today approved the revision of the ex-gratia amount to be given to the families of battle casualties of armed forces and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel. The ex-gratia amount has been increased from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore.

This decision follows the announcement made by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini in his Budget speech for 2024-25. The ex-gratia grant is given in case of a battle casualty, which includes incidents declared as ‘battle casualty’ by the defence authorities or the Ministry of Home Affairs, wherein a member of armed forces or CAPF is killed in harness in the performance of bonafide official duties in war, IED blast, terrorist or militant attacks, border skirmishes and in the United National Peacekeeping Force. The battle casualty also includes death in accident, cardiac arrest, air crash accident and natural calamities that demand exceptional courage and decisions towards performance of duties.

The Cabinet also approved a proposal by the Development and Panchayats Department to allocate a 200-square-yard plot from Shamlat deh land to Kamlesh Sharma, wife of martyr Sub-Inspector Jai Bhagwan. The late Sub-Inspector, a resident of Hirapur village in Ballabgarh of Faridabad, sacrificed his life during a counter-insurgency operation on December 12, 1995.

The Cabinet has also approved an enhancement in the monthly pension of ‘Matribhasha Satyagrahis’ of the Hindi Aandolan-1957 from the existing Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000, with immediate effect. Amendments to the Haryana Superior Judicial Service Rules, 2007, and the Punjab Civil Service (Judicial Branch) Rules, 1951, were also cleared. The amendments pertain to the provision of compassionate financial assistance or appointment to the dependents of deceased members of the Haryana Superior Judicial Service and Haryana Civil Service (Judicial Branch).

The government has also decided to increase the maximum limit of death-cum-retirement gratuity for state government employees and judicial officers by 25 per cent, raising it from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh. This enhancement will take effect from January 1, 2024