NEW DELHI: The brave jawans, who died while rescuing stranded pilgrims in the 2013 Uttarakhand natural calamity, have finally got their due.
The NDA Government has granted gallantry awards to all nine NDRF personnel, who died in the helicopter crash while carrying out rescue operations in the flood-ravaged Uttarakhand in June 2013.
Those who receieved the award posthumously include Commandant Nitya Nand Gupta, Inspector Bhim Singh, Sub-Inspector Satish Kumar, Constables K Vinaygan, Bassavaraj Yaragatti, Santosh Kumar Paswan, Sanjiva Kumar, Shashi Kant Ramesh Pawar and Ahir Rao Ganesh.
These men were among the 20 killed in the chopper crash during a rescue mission. While the Indian Air Force (IAF) had given the status of martyrs to its officials, who died in the crash, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) jawans and six Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Jawans were not recognised for the service they rendered to the nation.
The discrimination had triggered a row after the then UPA Government refused gallantry awards to the nine National Disaster Response Force and six ITBP personnel during the 2014 Republic Day celebration.
The UPA refused the awards, citing parameter issues, and pushed for life-saving medal.