Andhra leads by example

When 37 Andhra Pradesh policemen,returning from an anti-Naxal operation,were killed in an ambush in Orissas Balimela Reservoir...

When 37 Andhra Pradesh policemen,returning from an anti-Naxal operation,were killed in an ambush in Orissas Balimela Reservoir on June 29,2008,their families voiced their anger only against the Maoists and not the state government. In another instance,two children of CRPF jawan Moulishwara Reddy of Kurnool district,who was one of the 76 security personnel killed in Dantewada,will receive free education. The state government will pay Rs 10 lakh of the Rs 38 lakh compensation announced by the Centre. It has also arranged for a special pension for the family.

Andhra has an exemplary policy of providing compensation,ex-gratia and special benefits to the families of policemen killed while taking on the extremists. The families know the state government will not leave them in the lurch after the security personnel sacrificed their lives while fighting rebels, Director General of Police R R Girish Kumar says.

amp;149; The government provides ex-gratia that ranges between Rs 7.50 lakh and Rs 12 lakh as the first step in giving financial assistance to the family. The ex-gratia starts at Rs 7.50 lakh for police constables and goes up to Rs 9 lakh for sub-inspectors,and inspectors and above get Rs 10-12 lakh.

amp;149; The families receive money under the Group Personal Accident Insurance of the Andhra Pradesh Police. The office of the Director General of Police has insured the lives of all the police personnel and pays Rs 3.5 crore as insurance premium per annum. For constables and up to the rank of assistant sub-inspector,the insurance amount is Rs 5 lakh; for sub-inspectors and up to the rank of inspector it is Rs 10 lakh; in case of deputy superintendents,assistant commandants,it is Rs 15 lakh; for all IPS officers of the AP cadre,additional SPs and above it is Rs 25 lakh.

amp;149; The family continues to receive the last drawn pay of the deceased cop till the date of superannuation.

amp;149; The government arranges for a job for the spouse,son or daughter,or dependent brother or sister.

amp;149; The group insurance scheme provides Rs 10,000 as education aid for two children below 25 years. School-going children are provided free education in AP residential educational institutions.

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When the government decided to take the Maoists head-on in 1995-96,besides revamping and adequately equipping the police force and raising the Greyhounds,it also devised a compensation policy that gave these men the confidence that their families will be well taken care of in case of their death during these operations, an official of the Greyhounds Force said.

Andhras policy is hailed as a model and several other Naxal-affected states are trying to emulate it. Last week,an officer of the West Bengal Police was here to take Government Orders and circulars issued in connection with providing financial assistance to families of personnel killed during anti-insurgency operations. In the last three years we have sent copies of our Government Orders to several states. Police officers of other states come here to understand how the group insurance policy works,benefits given to the families,how the spouse or children are accommodated in government jobs, says an official of the General Administration Department.

The morale among the anti-Naxal personnel has to be very high if they have to fight in the forests for several days. By taking care of their families we have managed to keep it high, says Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddy.

AP Police has lost 189 men since 2000. Successive governments have revised the ex-gratia amount after realising that the fight against the Maoists is nothing less than a war. For instance,the ex-gratia paid to personnel killed in extremist violence in 1996 was Rs 1.50 lakh which was revised to Rs 3 lakh by 2000 and then raised to a minimum of Rs 7.50 lakh by 2003.