Taking note of the delay in giving compensation, the Election commission (EC) is planning to set up a database to track the status of ex-gratia payments to those who got injured or lost their lives while polling or poll-related duty. In a letter to chief electoral officers of all states and union territories, the EC has asked to track all such claims. At present, the poll watchdog pays Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of those who died in poll duties through cheques.
“A stern view has been taken of the institutional failure and lack of sensitivity, bordering on apathy, on part of the administrative machinery, which failed to respect the memory of the departed,” EC said in the letter. The letter asked CEOs to create a digital database to track the settlement of such legacy claims and all future claims. A national level database will also be created by the commission.
EC is also working out the modalities of how payments will be expedited to reduce any kind of inconvenience to the families.
Last month, Pramila Devi, the wife of late Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan Ramesh Kumar, 31, wrote to chief election commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora, highlighting the delay in such payments. Kumar died in a grenade attack during the 2002 Jammu and Kashmir elections. In her letter dated August 10, Devi said she had not received the payment; she was entitled to Rs 5 lakh as per the allotment 18 years ago. Following her letter, the Commission acted immediately to get the sum remitted to her without any further delay and later also transferred Rs 15 lakhs to her account.
