Now family of Agniveer in Haryana to get Rs 1 crore ex gratia as battle casualty

Chandigarh, May 5 (IANS) In a major step to honour bravery and support armed forces personnel, the Haryana Cabinet, presided over by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, here on Monday accorded approval to a proposal regarding the provision of ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore to the next of kin of battle casualty and a grant of one-time cash award for gallantry and distinguished award winners, both from Agniveer, hailing from the state.  

Notably, the government provides ex gratia of Rs 1 crore to the family of a battle casualty of the defence and paramilitary forces. It has now decided to extend the benefit to Agniveers too.

In the year 2022, the central government launched the Agnipath scheme to recruit both male and female aspirants as Agniveers (below the officer rank cadre) in all three services (the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force) for four years. The first batch of Agniveers joined the armed forces in August 2023. To date, 5,120 Agniveers have been recruited from Haryana.

The Cabinet also accorded approval to the Haryana AI Development Project (HAIDP) for 2025-2028, with a total outlay of Rs 474.39 crore. It approved the constitution of a special-purpose vehicle for the implementation of externally-aided projects.

The HAIDP is envisioned as a strategic intervention to position Haryana as a national hub for AI-enabled development. The project is proposed for implementation over a period of three years with technical and financial support from the World Bank. The total outlay is Rs 474.39 crore, with a funding pattern of 70:30 between the World Bank and the state government.

The Cabinet also approved the repeal of the British-era Municipal Account Code of 1930 and the notification of the Haryana Municipal Account Code of 2025 (Part I and II) for implementation across all municipalities. It aims to bring transparency to the accounting system of municipal bodies in Haryana. The age-old Municipal Account Code, 1930, is unable to cope with the challenges that the metamorphic changes have posed. Moreover, technological advancements have also made the municipal account code provisions obsolete and redundant.

The Cabinet also approved a proposal of the Gram Panchayat at Atali in Faridabad district to gift a residential plot measuring 200 square yards to Geeta, wife of Shaheed Naik Sandeep, who made the supreme sacrifice during a counter-insurgency operation in Pulwama on February 19, 2019. In view of the family’s circumstances and the lack of adequate residential accommodation, the Gram Panchayat’s proposal was considered and approved as a special gesture of gratitude and honour by the Cabinet, an official statement said.