The Pushkar Singh Dhami government in Uttarakhand will pay ex gratia of five times more than the existing ₹10 lakh for the next of kin of the native martyrs of the state. However, it’s not clear if the government will include Agniveers in the beneficiaries.

Chief Minister Dhami has announced that the Uttarakhand government would pay ₹50 lakh instead of ₹10 lakh to the dependents of martyred soldiers of the state. He said this compensation amount would be given in retrospect from 26 July 2024.

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It’s to be noted here that Dhami had first announced his government’s decision to increase the compensation amount by 500 per cent on the same day. According to the chief minister’s announcement, the five-fold increase in the ex gratia for the dependents of the martyred soldiers was to be paid on Kargil Victory Day in 2024.

After Dhami’s announcement, a proposal was sent to the departments of legal affairs and Finance for approval. However, the Finance Department raised objections to the plan.

The Finance Department’s objection had raised doubts on the implementation of the chief minister’s plan for an ex gratia amount to the dependents of martyrs.

Nevertheless, the Dhami government has now issued an order mentioning that dependents of martyred soldiers residing in Uttarakhand state will be given ₹50 lakh instead of present amount ₹10 as ex gratia.

According to the state government’s own record, 1,679 soldiers from Uttarakhand have made the supreme sacrifice for the country. As many as 245 soldiers were martyred in 1962 India-China war. In 1962, this war lasted for nearly a month from October 20 to November 20. In the 1971 war between India and Pakistan 217 soldiers from Uttarakhand lost their lives. Remaining martyrs were from other armed engagements.