Ex-gratia compensation personnel engaged for election consolidated orders have been issued on the payment of ex-gratia compensation to the families /next kin of the deceased personnel drafted for election duty.
In connection with the conduct of General Elections, 2019, the Election Commission of India, vide letter above, has revised the slabs for exgratia payment in the event of any mishap to the election related officials.
After careful examination of the said recommendations / clarifications of the Election Commission of India, the Government has accepted them in toto for implementation to the families of the polling personnel who die or sustain injuries while on election duties and applicable to all the personnel deployed in all types of election-related duties , all security personnel including the categories of CAPFs/SAPs, State Police , Home Guards etc., . Accordingly, in supersession of all the previous orders/instructions issued from time to time on the subject matter of payment of ex-gratia compensation to the families / next kin of the deceased personnel drafted for election duty, Government hereby issues the following orders:
i) The payment of ex-gratia compensation will be as detailed below and this shall be in addition to the usual benefits applicable to the Government employees who die in harness.
Sl. No Item Slab of Ex-gratia
1 In case death occurs due to accident, heart attack, sunstroke or any other sudden illness – 20 times the salary of the deceased official subject to a minimum of Rs.15.00 lakhs.
2 If the death is unfortunately caused due to any violent acts of extremist or antisocial elements like road mines, bomb blasts, armed attacks, etc. Rs.30.00 lakh.
3 Permanent disability like loss of limb, eyesight, etc., from injuries – Rs.7.50 lakh (in case of such mishaps being caused by extremist or antisocial elements as item.2 above, the ex-gratia would be doubled)
4 Loss of 1 limb or 1 eye Rs.1.50 lakh.
5 Permanent partial disablement Percentage of 7.50 lakh in accordance with the percentage of permanent partial disablement, as certified by the respective Medical Board.
6 In case of any mishap to the election-related officials caused due to violent acts of extremists or antisocial elements like mines, bomb blasts, armed attacks, etc. The Ex-gratia compensation will be doubled in respect of events at items 4 and 5 above.
ii) In case of violent acts of extremists or antisocial elements like mines, bomb blasts, armed attacks etc., apart from the above financial benefit, the following shall also be provided to the family / next kin of the deceased Government employee:
a. The last pay drawn by the deceased official shall be paid to the spouse till the date of the superannuation of the deceased official. In case of death / re-marriage of the spouse, the next legal heir of the deceased official will get the last pay drawn till the date of the superannuation of the deceased official;
b. Employment shall be provided to the spouse/children/ dependent brother or sister of the deceased official as per the existing rule i.e., in G.O.Ms.No.812, General Administration (Ser.A) Department, dated 30.10.1991 and subsequent orders thereon issued from time to time;
c. The family of the deceased official shall be paid House Rent
Allowance based on the last pay drawn;
d. House site shall be assigned, as per the eligibility to the family of a deceased official by the District Collector concerned;
e. Death -cum -Retirement Gratuity;
f. Encashment of leaving at credit as per eligibility;
g. Write off of loans as per the orders of the Finance Department.
iii) The ex-gratia compensation indicated in the table at para 3 (i) above to the family of the polling personnel who die or sustain injuries while on election duty shall also be applicable to all the personnel deployed in all types of election-related duties i.e., all State Police, Home Guards, etc., any private persons like Drivers, Cleaners and Helpers etc., engaged on private vehicles not owned by the State Government / Central Government or their undertakings, hired for deployment for election duty;
iv) The above ex-gratia compensation is also applicable in all cases of death / permanent incapacitation during all elections / bye-elections to the House of People / Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly / Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council and preparation of Electoral Rolls / Photo Electoral Rolls;
V) The applicable period of election duty would start from the date of the announcement of the elections. In case of Revision of Electoral Rolls, it will be from the date of announcement of such Revision;
Vi) A person “On Election Duty” is considered that as soon as he/she leaves his/her residence/office to report for any election-related duty including training and until he/she reaches back his/her residence/office after the performance of his/her election-related duty. If any mishap takes place during this period, it should be treated as having occurred on election duty subject to the condition that there should be a causal connection between the occurrence of death/injury and the election duty (as explained in Commission’s letter No.218/6/2006/EPS dt.05.11.2008);
Vii) In case of the State Police personnel and Home Guards, the next of kin of the deceased Police personnel / Home Guards may opt/choose either to avail the benefits under any other scheme of the State Government being implemented for them by the Home Department OR under these orders of General Administration (Elections-A) Department.
Viii) The expenditure on account of payment of ex-gratia compensation to the polling personnel shall be wholly borne by the Government of India during elections to the Lok Sabha and by the State Government during elections to the Legislative Assemblies and shared on a 50:50 basis during simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the Legislative Assembly by the Government of India and the concerned State Governments. The share of the Government of India is paid by the Ministry of Law, Justice & Company Affairs (Legislative Department) (as explained vide Commission’s letter No.218/6/96-PS.II, dt.08.10.1996);
IX) In case of Lok Sabha elections, the payment of ex-gratia compensation shall be made by the State Government initially and the claims shall be made to the Government of India later on;
-5-
X) All the Collectors & District Election Officers in the State of Andhra Pradesh have hereby delegated the powers to sanction the ex-gratia compensation in their jurisdiction. All such cases should be reported to the Government immediately on the occurrence and the payment to the Legal Heir should be made immediately after giving a detailed order/proceedings of sanction of ex-gratia compensation.
Copies of the orders/proceedings sanctioning the ex-gratia compensation to the bereaved families shall be marked to the Government in General Administration (Elections-A) Department. If there is no sufficient budget under relevant Head of Account, they have to refer the matter to the Chief Electoral Officer, together with the copies of all relevant documents and proceedings, for the release of the budget.
Xi. The DEOs shall track death/injury cases and send a consolidated report from time to time to the office the CEO.
4. These orders are issued with the concurrence of the Finance (Expr.GAD.I) Department, vide their U.O.No.FMU0MISC/368/2019-FMU-GAD.I, dated 14.05.2019.
