4 months on, state yet to sanction relief for Uri martyrs

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 18

The coalition government in J&K is yet to sanction compensation to the families of Uri martyrs who belong to J&K. Unlike other states of the country, the J&K Government is waiting for a request from the “authorities concerned” to pursue compensation in favour of martyrs’ families.

On September 18 last year, 20 soldiers were killed in a terror attack on an Army camp in Uri. Two of the slain soldiers Subedar Karnail Singh and Havildar Ravi Paul belonged to the Jammu region.

In a reply to the question raised by BJP member from Kathua Rajiv Jasrotia in the Assembly, the government on Wednesday admitted that no compensation had been sanctioned in favour of the family members of Uri martyrs who belonged to J&K. “The ex gratia cases in respect of the next of kin of Uri attack martyrs have not been received from the units/authorities concerned so far in the Home Department,” the government stated in a written reply.

The government, however, said ex gratia worth Rs 1.66 crore in respect of 77 Army/security forces personnel killed since January 2015 to date had been sanctioned. The amount is disbursed among the beneficiaries through the Commanding Officers concerned.

Incidentally, other states have already announced ex gratia in favour of kin of the Uri martyrs. The BJP, which is part of the coalition, had on its own announced Rs 5 lakh compensation to the kin of Uri martyrs. But, apparently, the party has so far failed to convince its coalition partner to announce the compensation.