Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal for waiver of the provision to complete 179 working days at the time of the accident for payment of ex-gratia lump sum compensation to casually paid labourers (CPLs) working in Border Roads Organisation (BRO) or General Engineering Reserve Force (GREF), an official statement said.
According to the statement from the Ministry of Defence, as per the existing instructions, the CPLs, who have worked at least 179 days in BRO, are covered for payment of ex-gratia lump sum compensation of Rs 5 lakh.
Several families of deceased CPLs are deprived of the grant due to this constraint of 179 working days.
The BRO units are located in far-flung/snow-bound/high-altitude areas where no proper public as well as medical facilities are available. Factors namely uncongenial climate, inhospitable hilly terrain, hazardous work sites and occupational health hazards pose enormous risk to life of the CPLs.
Considering the cases of deaths occurred/reported during their engagement, the waiver of the condition of minimum 179 working days on humanitarian grounds would be a great reprieve for the families of the CPLs who lose their bread winner while on Government duty and will go a long way in securing their livelihoods.
Earlier, Rajnath Singh approved the extension of existing provisions of ‘Preservation and Transportation of the Mortal Remains’, available for General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) personnel of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), to casually paid labourers (CPLs), the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
He has also approved an increase in funeral expenditure for the CPLs to Rs 10,000 from Rs 1,000. This will be borne by the government in the event of the death of any CPL while on Government bonafide duty at BRO projects, whose last rites are being performed at the worksite, the ministry said.
The CPLs are employed by the BRO for the construction of roads in forward and border areas. They work hand-in-hand with the BRO personnel in adverse climates and tough working conditions, which sometimes result in casualties.
Until now, the facility of preservation and transportation of mortal remains to the native place at government expense was available only for GREF personnel. The CPLs working in similar conditions were deprived of this facility. In the case of their deaths, the burden of the transportation falls on the bereaved families, the release read.
Due to lack of financial resources, the family of the deceased is unable to bear the expenditure of airfare or even transportation by road in most conditions. A bereaved family often finds it extremely difficult to afford the funeral and other related expenditures. In such circumstances, the Next of Kin/Legal Heirs of deceased CPLs do not get a chance to pay tribute by way of performing the last rites of their kin, who have laid down their lives for the cause of the nation.
Raksha Mantri, while visiting forward BRO worksites, witnessed the difficult working conditions of the CPLs. He was solicitous about their welfare and had directed the BRO to craft appropriate welfare measures for them. These new welfare measures will go a long way in enabling the bereaved dependents to perform decent last rites for their loved ones, the ministry release said. (ANI)
