New Delhi: Amid the political slugfest over the Agnipath scheme, the Indian Army has contradicted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claims that the family of Agniveer Ajay Kumar, who died in a landmine blast this January, did not get any compensation.
The Army took to social media platform X to announce that Kumar’s family had already been given Rs 98.39 lakh. “Ex-gratia and other benefits amounting to approximately 67 lakh, as applicable according to the provisions of the Agniveer Scheme, will be paid on Final Account Settlement shortly post due Police verification,” it said.
This would amount to a total Rs 1.65 crore approximately, the force said, adding, “It is re-emphasised that emoluments due to a fallen hero are paid expeditiously to the next of kin of departed soldiers, including Agniveers.”
While the Army’s post has further fuelled the political face-off between the ruling BJP and the Congress, many wondered how the fallen soldier would get Rs 1.65 crore, given the scheme does not entail such a large payout.
Sources told ThePrint that the Rs 98.39 lakh payout included Rs 48 lakh as group insurance cover that every Agniveer is entitled to.
His family also got Rs 50 lakh from the bank which had his “defence salary package” account. Sources said all three services have a joint package with banks onboarded with them including SBI, HDFC, ICICI among others. Each defence personnel, including Agniveers, has a special salary account that entails Rs 50 lakh payout on behalf of the bank in case of death, among other benefits.
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Explaining the break-up of the remaining amount, sources said the family would also get an ex-gratia of Rs 44 lakh. Besides this, salary of balance tenure from the date of death, till completion of four years, will also be handed over to the next of kin, sources said.
The next of kin would also get the Seva Nidhi scheme package contributed by the Agniveer (30 percent), with an equal matching contribution by the government, and interest thereon.
Besides these, there would also be a contribution of Rs 8 lakh from the Armed Forces Battle Casualty Fund as well as immediate financial assistance of Rs 30,000 from the Army Wives Welfare Association.
Sources also said that each Army personnel killed in action gets a lump sum amount of about Rs 5 lakh from the unit he was serving.
They added that the total amount for each Agniveer will be different when it comes to the remaining salary. For example, if an Agniveer is killed in action just after six months, his family will receive the remaining three and a half years salary as lump sum payment.
What doesn’t a fallen Agniveer get?
Sources said that regular soldiers or Agniveers inducted permanently into the armed forces will not get the Seva Nidhi scheme or balance of pay.
However, the next of kin of a regular soldier (including Agniveer who are inducted permanently) will get a host of other benefits which the Agniveer will not get, including the liberalised family pension, which would have been 100 percent of emoluments based on last drawn pay.
The immediate family of a regular soldier would have also benefitted from the ex-servicemen contributory health scheme, besides other facilities.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
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