The state government has taken an important decision for the leaders, activists, and social workers who went to jail to protect democracy during the Emergency of 1975. In the state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, approval has been given to increase the monthly honorarium of these democracy fighters. Along with this, now their surviving spouse will also get this honorarium.
Under the new honorarium, those leaders who remained in jail for more than a month during the Emergency (25 June 1975 to 31 March 1977) will now get Rs 20,000 every month. Their surviving spouse will get Rs 10,000 per month. At the same time, fighters who have spent less than a month in jail will get Rs 10,000 per month, and their spouse will get Rs 5,000 per month.
To avail the benefits of this scheme, the spouse will have to apply at the concerned District Magistrate’s office. If a person who went to jail during the Emergency has died before January 2, 2018, then his spouse has been given the option to apply with an affidavit.
The state government had started a scheme in 2018 to give a monthly honorarium to activists to honour them. Now this scheme has been increased so that these fighters and their families can get more financial help.
The scheme was first started in January 2018 after Devendra Fadnavis became the Chief Minister, but in July 2020, the Uddhav Thackeray government stopped it, citing a revenue crisis due to COVID-19. At that time, the General Administration Department (GAD) had said that this allowance would no longer be given due to the financial crisis, and this would save the state about Rs 25-42 crore annually.
