Ex-gratia compensation to kin of on-duty polling officials: SEC

Bhubaneswar: Ahead of the ensuing Panchayat elections, the State Election Commission (SEC) today announced ex-gratia and compensation to the kin of the on-duty polling officials in case of their death or major injuries.

“All Central and State Government employees, employees of Central and State owned corporations, State Police staff, CRPF personnel and government and private drivers and helpers will be eligible for ex-gratia compensation,” SEC secretary Rabindranath Sahu told media persons here.

He said the Commission has classified these employees in two groups. Employees engaged in counting of votes, observers, field officers, magistrates, police, home guards, Forest Rangers, Village Wardens, and government and private drivers and helpers engaged in poll duty have been included in Category-A while the CRPF personnel have been included in Category-B.

“As per the provisions, if any employee of Category A engaged in poll duty dies of any extremist activities like attack by anti-socials or the Maoists, land mine blast, like the family of the on-duty polling official would be provided with an ex-gratia of Rs 20 lakh in case of his/her death while Rs 10 lakh compensation would be provided to the family of the polling official if he/she is permanently disabled due to extremist activities as mentioned above,” Sahu added.

He, however, said if any polling staff during their election tour dies of any extremist activities, he/her family would be given Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia while those who will be permanently disabled, their family would be provided with Rs 5 lakh compensation. Besides, those who lose their eyesight or are permanently disabled due to accident during their tour, their family would be provided with a compensation of Rs 5 lakh. Apart from this, the seriously injured polling staff on duty would be provided with a compensation of Rs 2 lakh.

On the other hand, if any CRPF personnel in Category-B who is either engaged in poll duty dies of any extremist attack, his family would receive ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh while any CRPF personnel who is on tour to polling booths, dies of similar circumstances, his family would receive Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia. Besides, if any CRPF personnel engaged in poll duty is permanently disabled due to similar attack or while on tour, his family will receive compensation of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2.5 lakh respectively. Besides, the seriously injured CRPF personnel would be given Rs 1 lakh as compensation, Sahu informed.