Keeping in line with its focus on national security, the government of India today approved increasing the central assistance paid to victims of terrorism to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 3 lakh.
The compensation will be available to victims of communal violence, maoist extremist, cross-border firing and mine blasts.
Civilian victims of cross border firing along the Indo-Pak border have been included in the scheme for the first time.
“Now onwards, any civilian who dies anywhere in the country due to terror attack, left-wing extremist violence, firing from across the border, shelling or IED explosion will be given Rs.5 iakh as compensation uniformly. The amount will be given to the next of kin of the victim,” the government said.
Rs.5 lakh will also be given to those who receive 50 per cent or more disability or incapacitation due to the same reasons.
The compensation amount will be given subject to the condition that no employment has been provided to any of the family members of the victims by State or Central Government.
Till now the next of kin of persons killed or civilians who suffered permanent incapacitation as a result of such violence were paid Rs.3 lakh as per provisions of the Central Scheme for Assistance to Civilian Victims of Terrorist, Communal, Naxal violence since 2008.
Approximately 770 km of the Line of Control (LC) and approximately 220 km of International Border (IB) have been a witness to frequent ceasefire violation and the influx of terrorists since 1990. 13921 civilians have lost their lives till 2015.
“In view of the hardships faced by the civilian populations, the Government decided to include the civilian victims of cross border firing under the Scheme,” it said.
Families of the victims would be eligible to get assistance under the scheme even if they have received any other assistance, by way of payment of ex-gratia or any other type of relief from the Government or any other source except when a similar scheme is already being implemented by the Central Government. So far, the Government has disbursed Rs.35.89 crore as compensation to civilian victims since inception of this Scheme in 2008.