Honour to personnel of para military forces queried in Rajya Sabha

MINISTRY OF  HOME AFFAIRS

RAJYA SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-1474

ANSWERED ON-18.12.2013

1474 . SHRI KIRANMAY NANDA

(a) whether it is a fact that by now 31,895 security personnel belonging to para-military forces have lost their lives in discharging their duties in internal security of nation, but Government has not considered their sacrifice as “Shaheed/martyrs” because they do not belong to Army, Air Force or Navy;

(b) if so, whether Government has any plan to go for Constitutional Amendment in present Act so that sacrifice of our security personnel can be honoured as “Shaheed/martyrs”; and

(c) if not, the reasons therefor?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI R.P.N. SINGH)

(a) to (c): No sir. As reported by the CAPFs, the number of force personnel, who have sacrificed their lives in action, is 4942. The Government does not differentiate between the sacrifice made by the personnel belonging to the various armed forces of the union. The Ministry of Defence have indicated that shaheed/martyr is not defined anywhere and presently they are not issuing any such order/notification to this effect in respect of the defence personnel. Similarly, no such order/notification to this effect is issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs in respect of the CAPF personnel who are killed in action while discharging their duties. However, their families/Next of Kin (NOKs) are given full family pension under the Liberalized Pensionary Award (LPA) rules, i.e. the last pay drawn, and ex-gratia compensation as per rules in addition to the other ex-gratia/benefits admissible. 

******