Delhi Police directs Rs 28L aid for kin of personnel who died of virus

New Delhi: As families of Delhi Police personnel lost to the pandemic continue waiting for their compensation amount promised by the Delhi government, the Delhi Police has now asked senior officers to ensure that these families are given Rs 28 lakh as financial assistance. The decision came in a June 2 order to all relevant senior officers.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (G&A) AK Lall wrote the letter to officers in which he stated that Commissioner SN Shrivastava wanted the nominees of all police personnel who have expired due to COVID 19 infection to get financial assistance of Rs 28 lakh from Axis Bank within seven days of the death of concerned police personnel.

"In view of above, in charges of all districts, units are requested to ensure that all such applications, complete on all respect, must be sent to Axis Bank, by special messenger, so that the nominees

of police personnel who expired due to COVID-19 infection, can get financial assistance of Rs 28 lakh from the Axis Bank within seven days," DCP Lall wrote adding that the progress in this regard will be reviewed directly by the Delhi Police Commissioner.

Earlier this year, insurance cover for the natural death of cops was raised from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 28 lakh, while the cover for accidental deaths has been lifted to Rs 78 lakh from Rs 30 lakh. Though no family wishes to be compensated in financial terms, yet in an unfortunate incident, a provision of Rs 10 lakh has been made to help the family in suicidal cases

Last year as many as 7,612 police personnel were infected with the Coronavirus. Though the recovery rate was quite high as 7,424 personnel recovered and resumed their duty, yet the city police lost 32 police personnel due to the Corona pandemic.

But in the second wave, over 4,000 more cops tested positive and the death toll in the force rose to over 70. Besides, Delhi Police also lost 231 of its personnel due to natural deaths, 44 to accidental deaths and 14 to suicides.

But even as the Delhi government is yet to clear compensation claims, the Delhi Police had earlier introduced a financial assistance scheme for those of their own ravaged by the virus. However, after a few weeks, the scheme was rolled back when the CM's announcement of Rs 1 crore ex-gratia came.