EC enhances ex-gratia compensation to polling personnel

The Election Commission has revised ex-gratia payment to the families of polling personnel who die or suffer injuries during election duty.
Assistant CEO in West Bengal Amitjyoti Bhattacharya today said that after the revision the minimum amount to be paid to the next of kin of an official killed on election duty would be Rs 10 Lakh.
The compensation would get doubled to Rs 20 lakh in the case of death caused by violent acts like bomb and road mine blasts or armed attacks, he said.
In the case of permanent disability like loss of limbs or loss of eye-sight, a minimum ex-gratia payment of Rs five lakh will be paid. The amount will double if it is caused by acts of extremists or anti-socials.

The DMs and SPs have been asked to take all responsibility for the treatment of the injured and keep ready a control room in case of any such incident anywhere in the state for regular monitoring, Bhattacharya said.