Initiated multiple welfare schemes CAPFs personnel: Govt

NEW DELHI: The Centre said it has taken a wide range of welfare measures for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel and their families in areas like healthcare, financial support, education, housing, and rehabilitation.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, in a written response to the Rajya Sabha highlighted various welfare schemes put in place by the government for CAPF personnel.

Ayushman CAPF was initiated on January 23, 2021 under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) to offer cashless and paperless medical care to serving personnel of CAPFs, Assam Rifles, National Security Guard, and National Disaster Response Force, and their dependents.

To ensure economic security for staff and their kin, the government has launched ex gratia payments, in which Rs 25 lakh is provided to the immediate family in case of death during duty through accident and Rs 35 lakh for casualties caused by enemy action or terrorism. The government also offers financial assistance through an accidental death insurance scheme as part of the CAPF salary package to the kin of staff personnel who die while on duty.

For the education of CAPF personnel’s wards, the Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme (PMSS) was initiated. Also, 26 MBBS and 3 BDS seats have been kept reserved for children of serving and martyr personnel.

The government has also introduced the CAPF e-Awas Portal, an online portal to enable registration and allotment of residential quarters, along with services like retention and regularisation of accommodations.

Appreciating the need for post-retirement jobs, the “CAPF Punarvaas” initiative has been initiated, connecting the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act (PSARA) website with the WARB portal.

Retirees and their spouses also get medical facilities from the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) and CAPF hospitals or a medical allowance of Rs 1,000 per month.