Obsequies grant raised tenfold for Odisha fire services personnel
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BHUBANESWAR: The fire services directorate has increased the obsequies grant from existing Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000 to the kin of deceased personnel. The tenfold increase in the funeral grant is also applied to the family members of ‘paid’ staff of home guards and civil defence wings after their deaths.
“We will provide the enhanced obsequies from our welfare fund. The kin of the deceased personnel can use the money to perform the latter’s last rites,” director general of police (fire services, home guards and civil defence) Satyajit Mohanty said.
Source said the earlier Rs 5,000 obsequies assistance was not revised in the last eight years. At present, the directorate of fire services, home guards and civil defence has a combined strength of nearly 5,000 personnel. In a year, at least 10 or 12 personnel die of different causes and ailments.
The fire services employees’ welfare fund currently has around Rs 4 crore deposit. While the employees contribute between Rs 10 and Rs 50 every month depending on their ranks and positions to the welfare fund, the state government has been providing Rs 25 lakh grant-in-aid annually towards the head for the last two years.
“We also provide financial assistance to our employees, who are in medical distress, from the welfare fund. The grant is also being given to employees to support the education of their children. Employees have to repay the money that they take for treatment and education of their children. But the obsequies grant is not recouped,” Mohanty said.