Martyr’s family yet to get assured compensations

Family members of Shashi Kant Pandey, 25, who laid his life for the country in the Pulwama ambush in Jammu & Kashmir on December 16 last year, have alleged that they were yet to get the compensation promised by the Union as well as state governments even after lapse of four months of his death. The job promise made by the state government for the Army jawan’s sister has also not been fulfilled.

Adding more to the woes, Shashi’s family members are struggling to repay the loan that he had taken from the SBI, Digwadi branch in Dhanbad. Shashi’s father Rajeshwar Pandey, who still resides in Jorapokhar locality of Dhanbad district said his son had borrowed Rs 5 lakh from the SBI. “We are not in a position to repay the loan amount after the death of my son,” Rajeshwar said, adding, “We had requested for waiving the loan but the bank officials are yet to reply.”

Rajeshwar said the both Union and state governments had made tall promises, but majority of the assurances were yet to be fulfilled.

“We are yet to receive the compensation amount announced by the Union government. The state government had assured job to my daughter Sindhu, but we do not know the current status. Besides, the promise of land and house have also not been fulfilled,” Rajeshwar said.

When contacted a senior SBI officer, on condition of anonymity, said the family’s request for waiving off loan was not under consideration, as the bank did not have any such policy to waive loan in case of premature death of borrower, even if the employee was engaged in government service. “As per the rule, bank would recover the loan from employee’s provident fund and gratuity,” he said.

On the promise of government job, land and house, Jharia circle officer, KN Singh said the decision has to be taken by the state government. “The ex-gratia that was announced by the state government has already reached the family,” Singh said, adding, the family could make a fresh approach for the unfulfilled promises.