BENGALURU: The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday decided to give government jobs to family members of martyrs, but will not give ex-gratia and other facilities. This has come in for sharp criticism by ex-servicemen. Law Minister JC Madhuswamy told reporters that the cabinet had approved giving government jobs to family members or dependents of martyrs, under compensatory grounds.
They will not get 60x40 sqft sites and Rs 50 lakh, and this will be applicable to all those who have not availed of aid from the State government, he said.“In Karnataka, there are over 400 such families, of which 200 are eligible to get jobs on compensatory grounds, as per our initial estimation,” he said.
Brigadier Ravi Muniswamy, the former director, Department of Sainik Welfare and Resettlement, said many states in India are giving government jobs without exams, along with land and compensation amounts. “The Karnataka government is doing the least for family members of martyrs. By giving a job, the government is not doing a favour. It is not interested in providing any facilities,” he said.
Brigadier Muniswamy said that as per rules, the state government has to give two acres of irrigated land or eight acres of dry land, but the government does not go by them.
Long wait for martyrs’ kin to get facilities
“I have seen family members of martyrs running from pillar to post to avail of these facilities even after 20 years. Is this the way we treat family members who lose their breadwinners for the country?” Brigadier Muniswamy asked. He demanded that the State government pay at least Rs 1 crore as compensation.
Slamming the government, he wanted to know what kind of job it would give widows of martyrs. “It will be Group D cadre. When the government has funds to give freebies for votes, it can give a decent amount to martyrs’ families. They should be given government jobs, land and Rs 1 crore in compensation,” he added. “No ex-gratia amount will be paid henceforth,” Madhu Swamy said on Thursday.