Odisha Announces Rs 20,000 Monthly Pension For Those Jailed During Emergency

The benefits will be available to all eligible people who are alive as of January 1, 2025, the order said.

All applications will be scrutinised before an applicant becomes eligible for the benefits.

Source : ABPLIVE AI

The Odisha government on Monday announced a monthly pension of Rs 20,000 and other benefits for people jailed during Emergency nearly half a century ago. Along with pension, the state government will bear the medical expenses of all the people jailed during the Emergency, according to a notification by the state home department.

The benefits will be available to all eligible people who are alive as of January 1, 2025, it said.

Hundreds of people were imprisoned in various jails across the country for opposing the Emergency period which lasted from June 25, 1975, to March 21, 1977, when Indira Gandhi was the prime minister.

The government constituted state-level and district-level committees to select the beneficiaries.

A meeting chaired by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Satyabrat Sahu discussed the preparation of a detailed list of those who were jailed in the state.

On January 2, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi declared the provision of monthly pension for those arrested and imprisoned during the Emergency under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act, Defence of India Rule or Defence and Internal Security of India Rules.

"The pension will be sanctioned in favour of the living persons (those who are alive as on January 1, 2025) irrespective of the period of detention in jail," the notification said, adding that they can also avail of free medical treatment in accordance with the provisions of health & family welfare department.

The benefits will take effect from January 1, 2025, it added.

Interacting with district magistrates and SPs in virtual mode, Sahu informed them that the beneficiaries will have to submit an application in the prescribed format to the Collector and District Magistrate along with documents and names of three prominent co-detainees and an affidavit in support of his detention under the relevant act.

All applications will be scrutinised before an applicant becomes eligible for the benefits of the programme.

Indira Gandhi made the announcement of imposition of Emergency in a broadcast on All India Radio on late night on June 25, 1975, shortly after the Supreme Court granted a conditional stay to the Allahabad High Court verdict declaring her election to the Lok Sabha null and void. The apex court asked Gandhi to stay away from parliamentary proceedings.

The 21-month period was also known for excesses such as forced mass sterilisations, censorship of the press, suspension of constitutional rights and centralisation of power.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 24 last year called the Emergency period a "black spot" on democracy when the Constitution was "discarded". 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)