CRPF moots Rs 50L special grant to paramilitary personnel who die while on COVID-19 duty

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has proposed to the government a special grant of Rs 50 lakh to those central paramilitary personnel who die while on COVID-19 duty, officials said on Thursday.

They said the force has sent a proposal in this context to the Union Home ministry on the lines of a similar ex-gratia being accorded recently to municipal and health workers.

The CRPF is the country's largest paramilitary or Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) with about 3.25 lakh personnel and is deployed in huge numbers in various states for law and order upkeep duties.

"A proposal for special grant of Rs 50 lakh to CAPF personnel has been sent by force chief A P Maheshwari to the Union Home ministry. The final call will be taken by the MHA," a senior official said.

CRPF is deployed to assist several state police units in operational and law and order grid and the forces' duty is such that it is often deployed in hotspots and high-risk areas, he said.

Whether this special grant will be over and above the special amount granted to personnel who are killed in incidents of violence while being on duty, will be decided by the central government, he said.

Five personnel from various forces under the command of the Union Home ministry have succumbed to coronavirus till now.

This includes 2 personnel from the Border Security Force and one each from CRPF, Central Industrial Security Force and the Delhi Police.

Meanwhile, CRPF Director General A P Maheshwari sent a message to his personnel and asked them to take all precautions to check the infection and "not hesitate" to consult the doctor in case they feel sick.

"We are fully concerned about you. Recently force witnessed a sudden spurt of coronavirus cases in one of the battalions in Delhi and some parts of the directorate."
"Most important are the life style changes of social distancing and adopting options that are nature friendly."
A senior officer of the force said adequateprotective gear is being provided to the personnel and special standard operating procedures for fighting COVID-19 are being implemented by the commanders "religiously due to which the number of positive cases have come down commendably in last three days."