J&K govt wants revision of ex-gratia rates

Jammu and Kashmir government has asked the Centre to revise the existing rates of compensation and extra-gratia paid to various categories, including militancy-related cases, in the state.
The comprehensive proposal submitted to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) seeks revision of the existing rates of compensation or ex-gratia being paid in J&K to various categories including loss of life on borders and also for the inclusion of some new categories in the proposed scheme under SRE (Security Related Expenditure), the government told the Legislative Council.
As per the existing norms, an amount of Rs one lakh is paid on account of death in militancy related cases and in the case of cross border firing shelling, an amount of Rs one lakh is being paid in case of death, Rs 75,000 in case of permanent disability and Rs 5000 in case of injury, it said.

50 per cent of loss assessed of the immobile property due to cross border firing or shelling is also paid subject to the ceiling of Rs one lakh and in case of militancy related incidents, 50 per cent loss assessed of the immovable property subject to a ceiling of Rs five lakh, it said.
It added that appointment is being provided to one of the next of kin of the persons killed in such incidents or alternatively compensation of Rs four lakh is provided in lieu of the government job.
An amount of Rs 27 lakh has been paid to the next of kin of the persons killed in cross-border firing in Jammu Division from 2012 to 2015 and an amount of Rs one lakh has been paid to the next of kin of one person killed due to cross border firing in Baramulla district of Kashmir Valley during 2014, the government informed.

For safety and security of border population, under a pilot project of the Union Home Ministry, construction of 60 community type bunkers at the rate of Rs five lakh per bunker in the border blocks of District Jammu is in the progress, the written reply said.

It also said the Centre has released an amount of Rs 15.50 crore for the farmers whose land falls within the border fencing in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts and out of which an amount of Rs 4.27 crore has been disbursed so far to concerned land owners.
An amount of Rs 74.34 crore, out of which Rs 63.38 crore pertain to land under border fencing and Rs 10. 96 crore to Border Out Posts (BOPs), is required for Jammu Division.

This amount is yet to be released by the central government, it said.