BHUBANESWAR: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has urged the Odisha government to allot homestead land to the next of kin of 13 personnel from the state, who were killed in the line of duty over the past three decades, in accordance with existing provisions.
Two of the martyrs, constable Manoj Kumar Behera of the 82 Battalion and Head constable Prasanna Kumar Sahoo of the 61 Battalion, were among the 40 CRPF personnel killed in the suicide attack by a Jaish-e-Mohammad operative in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir in February 2019.
In a letter to chief secretary Anu Garg, CRPF director general GP Singh said the state government already has a policy for providing homestead land of 0.04 acre in urban areas and 0.10 acre in rural areas to the families of Central Armed Police Forces personnel who have made the supreme sacrifice.
However, 13 cases pertaining to the disbursal of these benefits to the families of slain CRPF personnel remain pending at various stages due to procedural or administrative delays, he pointed out.
Singh requested the chief secretary to review and expedite the disposal of the pending cases so that the benefits reach the bereaved families in a timely manner, as per the state’s policy.
He added that early resolution would strengthen the state’s commitment to the welfare of CAPF families and help boost the morale of CRPF personnel serving in challenging internal security conditions.
The CRPF DG has also shared details of the 13 personnel from Odisha who lost their lives in the line of duty over the past 30 years. The first name on the list is constable Ashok Kumar Manjhi of the 73 Battalion, a native of Sundargarh district, who was killed during an anti-insurgency operation in Manipur in January 1995.
All 13 personnel, serving in the ranks of constable and head constable, were killed in operations against militants, insurgents and Naxals in Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha.