20 NDRF personnel who rendered exemplary rescue services during the 2013 natural calamity in Uttarakhand along with combat disaster operations in other states have been awarded the Prime Minister's police medal for life saving.
The medals are given to police and paramilitary personnel for rendering outstanding work in the post-disaster scenario while undertaking rescue and relief operations.
A majority of personnel have been awarded for their work in the Himalayan state last year, while some of those who were involved in the operations in Odisha during 'Phailin' cyclone and Assam floods have also been recognised.
Those awarded are Jaideep Singh, Rishkhem Manik Passah, Vijender Singh, Ravinder Singh Kushwaha, Rajesh Kumar, Shyam Lal, G S Meena, Mukut Bihari, Hanuman Ram, Puneet Bhatnagar, P S Ranjana, N C Joshi, Budhi Singh, Bhuwan Singh, Bishan Singh, Kishore PS, Brijesh Kumar Yadav, Deepak Singh, H D Rai and Sivender Singh.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is the premier paramilitary force under the command of the Union Home Ministry and has been raised exclusively for undertaking tasks in disaster hit areas, whether manmade or natural.
The force was at the forefront of rescue operations in Uttarakhand last year and 20 of its personnel were also killed in a helicopter crash near Kedarnath while rendering the same duties.
