The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Saturday announced a life insurance cover of Rs 25 lakh each to all elected members of panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) and urban local bodies (ULBs) of the union territory in case of death due to a militancy-related incident.
The decision is aimed at strengthening the grassroots democracy by providing a sense of security to the elected members of local bodies who are under constant threat from militants, an official spokesman said.
The Administrative Council (AC), which met here under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor G C Murmu, approved a life insurance cover of Rs 25 lakh each to all elected block development council (BDC) chairmen, sarpanches, panches and all elected members of municipal bodies of Jammu and Kashmir in case of death due to a militancy-related incident, he said.
The spokesman said the life insurance cover will act as a guarantee for the subsistence of the family members of the elected representatives who die in militancy-related incidents.
It will ensure that their families do not face economic distress and poverty in case of any untoward incident as well as fulfill basic needs of nutrition, education and health in adverse circumstances, he added.