Manipur chief minister Nongthombam Biren Singh on Saturday announced an ex-gratia scheme of Rs 5 lakh for the families of those killed in the line of duty while serving in the Indian Army and paramilitary forces.
Biren Singh made the announcement while addressing the 74th Independence Day celebration at 1st Manipur Rifles parade ground in Imphal.
“The new scheme is called Major Laishram Jotin Singh ex-gratia scheme.The state cabinet also took a formal decision in this regard. The scheme is instituted for its implementation in future,” the chief minister said.
The scheme for the state’s residents has been named after Major Laishram Jotin Singh, a doctor with the Indian Army from Manipur, who died in fighting a suicide bomber in Kabul on February 26, 2010. He was also conferred the country’s highest peacetime gallantry medal, Ashok Chakra, posthumously in 2011.
During the Independence Day celebration in Imphal, Biren Singh handed over a cheque of Rs 5 lakh to the widow of riflemen Ratan Salam of 4th Assam Rifles under the newly-instituted ex-gratia scheme. Ratan, a resident of Kakching district in Manipur, along with two other Assam Rifles personnel lost their lives in an attack by insurgents near Khongtal area of Chandel district on July 29 this year.
Deputy chief minister Yumnam Joykumar, ministers, legislators, chief secretary and director general of police and other top officials of civil and security agencies attended the 74th Independence Day celebration in Imphal amid a boycott call and total shutdown by insurgents groups in the northeastern state.
