Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 22: Grieved over by the State Government showing of irreverence towards the supreme sacrifices made by the Army jawans who attained martyrdom in Pakistan sponsored terror attack at Uri, a large number of Panthers Party activists held strong protest demonstration here today.
Led by Harsh Dev Singh chairman of the party and Balwant Singh Mankotia, State president, the NPP workers assembled at Exhibition Ground here in the morning and started protest demonstration, demanding ex-gratia for the next of the kin of martyrs including SRO 43 benefits.
Lambasting the BJP-PDP alliance for being callous in announcing the ex-gratia and compensation to the families of martyrs, Mr Singh revealed that Uttar Pradesh Government had announced an ex-gratia of Rs 20 lakh each to next of the kin of the soldiers. Likewise Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra Governments had announced the ex-gratia of Rs 11 lakh, Rs 10 lakh and Rs 15 lakhs each to the family members of the martyrs hailing from the respective States.
He regretted that J&K on the other hand had failed to show such gesture to the sons of the soil who attained martyrdom including others who sustained injuries for the security and safety of its own people and the nation. He added that the State Government had been disparaging its martyrs right from the beginning with no ex-gratia been paid to the Army jawans besides other defencse and security personnel who sacrificed their lives while performing duties for the motherland. He lamented that it was a matter of sheer irony that while the State legislators had voted themselves a whopping hike in their salaries, the State treasury always remained empty for the slain martyrs.
He pointed out that the Govt was paying compensation to the families of stone palters, monthly honorarium to surrendered militants and grants for rehabilitation of such militants but had declined ex-gratia to martyrs and national heroes.
Mr Mankotia and Yash Pal Kundal also spoke on the occasion and condemed the State Government for delaying and denying payment of ex-gratia to the family of Martyr Chamel Singh who was killed in Kot Lakhpat Jail of Pakistan.
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