Govt. hikes ex-gratia for Forest personnel

The State Govt. has hiked ex-gratia given to Forest Department personnel who die on duty from Rs. 20 lakh to Rs. 30 lakh with an immediate effect, according to Forest Minister Anand Singh. Speaking at a function organised in connection with Forest Martyrs Day at Aranya Bhavan here on Friday, he said that a fund has been created to observe the Forest Martyrs Day and so far, Rs. 20,64,842 had been collected. It will be used on the dependents of martyrs. Singh said, “protection of flora and fauna was not only the responsibility of Forest Dept. but also of the citizens. In democracy, social justice could be ensured if all three pillars of Constitution, Legislature, Judiciary and Executive, worked together.”