Odisha approves compensation for family of prisoners who die in jail
The cabinet also approved an amendment of the Odisha Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1992, to include “transgender” in the definition of “child” for payment of family pension to such children in the event of the death of a government servant/pensioner.
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In the evidence before the court, separate incidents of sexual abuse by the teacher, who taught the students English and Science, came to light. (File/Representational)The Odisha cabinet Monday today approved a proposal to provide compensation to the next of kin of prisoners who die inside the jails in the state.
Currently, there is no statutory provision for compensation to the next of kin after prisoners’ deaths. In some instances, the aid is being granted as per the recommendations of the national or state human rights commissions.
“The provision has been made in accordance with an order of the Orissa High Court issued in December 2021. The high court had observed that a system or scheme should be put in place by the government itself for compensation for the death of prisoners in custody,” said chief secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra after the meeting.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also requested the Odisha government to formulate a policy for compensation, said the chief secretary. Details of the compensation amount would be finalised soon, he added.
The cabinet also approved an amendment of the Odisha Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1992, to include “transgender” in the definition of “child” for payment of family pension to such children in the event of the death of a government servant/pensioner.
As the word “transgender” was included in the definition of “child” in the existing pension rules, it did not allow transgender children of government servants and pensioners to avail family pension in case of their death.
A transgender child of a government servant or pensioner, who died on or after January 2020, if living single, shall be treated as an unmarried daughter in case there is no other elder unmarried daughter or disabled unmarried daughter for the benefit of family pension. This is provided that the child above 25 years of age must be wholly dependent on the government servant or pensioner for consideration of the grant of family pension, said the chief secretary.
The cabinet also enhanced the monthly income limit from Rs 4,440 to Rs 10,000 from all other sources to be eligible for a family pension.
The Naveen Patnaik-led cabinet also approved the annual budget for the 2023-24 financial year. Though details of the budget have been kept under wrap, sources said its size would be around Rs 2.30 lakh crore.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau’s prison statistics report, 60 prisoners died in different jails in Odisha in 2021, of which eight cases are unnatural deaths. The corresponding numbers for 2020 and 2019 were 75 and 8; and 53 and 5.
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