Covid-19: Maharashtra govt extends ₹50L relief scheme for families of deceased cops

The state government on Friday issued a fresh government resolution (GR), extending the scheme providing for solatium of ₹50 lakh to the kin of the government employees, including police personnel, who died due to Covid-19, while performing Covid-related duties

The state government on Friday issued a fresh government resolution (GR), extending the scheme providing for solatium of ₹50 lakh to the kin of the government employees, including police personnel, who died due to Covid-19, while performing Covid-related duties.

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The scheme that had lapsed on December 31, 2020, has now been extended till June 30, 2021. The families of over 100 police personnel, who died of Covid since January 2021 will now get due compensation, a senior IPS officer said.

HT had first published a report on May 4, highlighting how families of police personnel who died due to Covid this year were left in the lurch, as the scheme ended in December 2020.

Very few families of deceased policemen could get compensation this year in the absence of a relief scheme. Their case was presented before the finance department and was marked as a ‘special case’ by the police department. However, dozens of claim files had remained unprocessed due to the non-renewal of the scheme.

Sanjeev Singhal, additional director general of police (administration) said, “We welcome the government’s decision. The police department has been continuously following this matter with the government and requesting them that the funds be released so that the grieving families of deceased policemen could get much needed financial aid.”

During the initial days of the pandemic, many police personnel pressed into Covid-related work had contracted the virus and were falling sick. The disease was spreading among the police force rapidly, and thus there was a sense of fear and panic among the men in khaki.

The state government had in May 2020 announced the scheme extending financial help of ₹50 lakh to the families of deceased policemen and a government job to a family member. Mumbai Police went a step ahead and announced an additional ₹10 lakh fund for each family from the police welfare funds. Hundreds of families of cops who died last year got benefits and many family members even got jobs in the police force.

So far all 446 police personnel have died due to Covid-19 in Maharashtra, including 128, who have lost lives this year.

Kavita Mahale, 30, wife of late Sanjay Mahale, a constable posted with Nardana police station in Dhule, said that the compensation will help her start her life afresh. Her husband succumbed to the disease on March 25 and eight days later his father also passed away. Sanjay’s mother had already died six months ago due to a prolonged illness. Mahale is now left with her two kids.

Gaurav Wani, an engineering student and son of head constable Sanjay Wani, who was posted with Kolshewadi police station in Kalyan, is equally perplexed. Three months have passed since his father’s death due to Covid, but the family hasn’t yet received any compensation from the state. The family now hopes that the claim file would be processed soon.

Similar is the case of the family of head constable Ramesh Survase from Chunabhatti police station who died last month due to Covid. Survase’s brother Vishnu said the compensation money will help his brother’s wife take care of her two children aged 17 and 12 years.

Covid care cell for cops

The state police have started a 24x7 Covid care cell where any police personnel can contact and take any information related to Covid 19, bed availability, medicines availability, etc. The cell will also have information on medicines like Remdesivir, Tocilizumab, and oxygen concentrator, etc. They can also lodge any Covid0-related complaint on this helpline.