The government has raised the amount of compensation to be paid to the families of federally-regulated law enforcement agencies’ officials killed in the line of duty.
A notification issued by the Interior Ministry on May 19 says the amount has been raised under the Payment of Compensation Rules, 2014.
It says the new rules cover the personnel of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Islamabad Capital Territory Police, the Pakistan Rangers (Punjab), the Pakistan Rangers (Sindh), the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Frontier Corps, the Balochistan Frontier Corps, the KP Frontier Constabulary, the Pakistan Cost Guards and the Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts.
Earlier, the family of a law enforcement official in BPS 20 was entitled to a maximum compensation of Rs1.5 million, an official in BPS 1 to BPS 15 Rs0.5 million and an official in BPS 16 to BPS 19 Rs1 million.
The notification says in case of death or injury suffered on duty, the compensation paid for officials in BPS 1 to BPS 16 would be Rs3 million. The heirs of those serving in BPS 17 will get Rs5 million and those in BPS 18 and BPS 19 Rs9 million. The family of a BPS 20 official will be entitled to a grant of Rs10 million.
The government has also announced other concessions for the families of the officials killed on duty. These include the pension and jobs for the heirs in BPS 1 to BPS 15 on a two-year contract.
A monthly stipend for a maximum four children – Rs2,500 for primary education, Rs4,000 for matriculation and Rs5,000 for post-graduate studies.
The spouse of a slain officer would get free healthcare at government hospitals until she or he gets married again. The children would get medical cover until they turn 18. The new rules allow the heirs to retain the official residence until the scheduled retirement of the slain officials.
The widows will be allotted plots in line with the Federal Government Employees’ Housing Foundation (FGEHF) policy.
If an official had taken advance salaries, the balance would be waived.
Permanent disability
Rs0.5 million would be paid to the officials incapacitated and released from service as the result of injuries suffered in a shootout, a bomb blast or riot.
Rs0.3 million would be paid to the officials rendered handicapped in accidents; Rs150,000 would be granted in case of serious injury and Rs50,000 in case of minor injuries.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 2nd, 2014.