The Hindu : Front Page : Rs. 106.5-crore package for Gujarat victims

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Friday, Mar 23, 2007
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Rs. 106.5-crore package for Gujarat victims

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved a Rs. 106.57-crore relief and rehabilitation package for the victims of the 2002 Gujarat communal riots.

It includes an ex gratia payment to the next of kin of 1,169 persons who died. The payment will be made at Rs. 3.5 lakh a victim, in addition what was already given by the State Government.

An ex gratia payment of Rs. 1.25 lakh will be made to each of the 2,548 injured persons. It will be reduced by the amount already paid by the State Government.

The package consists of part-reimbursement of an ex gratia of Rs. 30.1 crore paid by the State Government for damage to residential property and an ex gratia of Rs. 17.18 crore for uninsured commercial/industrial property.

Cabinet spokesperson Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said children and family members of those who died in the riots would be given preference, with age relaxation, in recruitment to paramilitary forces, IR battalion, the State police forces, public sector undertakings and State and Central government departments. The Central and State Governments might launch special recruitment drives to accommodate eligible members from the riot-affected families.

Those who lost their jobs would be allowed to rejoin duty by treating the period of their absence as dies non, and those who had to leave their jobs because of the riots and had since crossed the age of superannuation might be given pension benefits by relaxing rules.

The figures for the dead and the injured were found in State Government records. If there were any more dead or injured, not included in the State lists, the affected persons could approach the Centre.

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