Pune: Nearly three years after Agniveer Akshay Laxman Gawate died in the line of duty on the Siachen Glacier in Oct 2023, his parents are awaiting Rs 1 crore relief from the state govt.Gawate became the first Agniveer of the Indian Army to die in the line of duty. He was posted at the world’s highest battlefield. The Army declared him a battle casualty. His family has since received over Rs 1 crore from Army headquarters under various heads.However, Maharashtra govt is yet to release a separate corpus of Rs1 crore. The officials, however, stated that Maharashtra does not currently have a specific policy covering Agniveers.Santosh Kumar, secretary of General Administration Department (GAD), under which the state Sainik Welfare Department functions, told TOI, “At present, there is no policy for compensation of Agniveers. The Government of India may have a policy for compensation of Agniveers. You can check with them.”This correspondent sent a text message to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He, however, did not reply till the time of going to the press.The Sainik Welfare Department, however, has recommended that Gawate’s family be paid Rs1 crore, arguing that the Army had declared him a battle casualty.Col Deepak Thonge, director of Sainik Welfare Department, told TOI, “We have submitted the proposal to state govt and recommended that his family be given Rs 1 crore since he was declared a battle casualty by Army headquarters. As per the existing policy, any armed forces or paramilitary personnel declared a battle casualty is eligible for receiving Rs 1 crore compensation from state govt.”Laxman Gawate (52), father of Agniveer Akshay Gawate, said the family had repeatedly been assured by officials that the compensation would be released, but there had been no payment so far.“The Sainik Welfare Department has told me repeatedly that state govt will release the compensation, but we are yet to get it,” he said.For Gawate’s family, the issue was not merely about the money, but recognition of their son’s sacrifice.“My son gave his life for the country, and the Army has paid us compensation. Why is the state govt not recognising his contribution? He was the son of this soil,” Laxman said, adding that I am not educated enough to understand state govt’s policy.The Army compensation received by the family included non-contributory insurance, Seva Nidhi comprising the Agniveer’s contribution along with the govt’s matching contribution and interest, ex-gratia payment, pay balance for the remaining period of the four-year engagement, contribution from the Armed Forces Battle Casualty Fund and immediate financial assistance from the Army Women’s Welfare Association (AWWA).A farmer from Pimpalgaon Sarai in Buldhana district, Laxman, said Akshay had always dreamt of wearing the Army uniform. He joined the Regiment of Artillery in 2023 through the newly introduced Agnipath recruitment scheme.“He was brilliant in studies, and I would advise him to join govt service. He was my only son, so I was worried and advised him till the last moment to think twice before joining the Army. But he was determined,” Laxman said.Within months of completing his statutory training, Gawate was posted to Siachen. “He was the only hope for us. Unfortunately, he died while serving the country,” his father said.The family has also sought a government job for Gawate’s sister, who is a graduate and got married last year. Laxman said she was now the only family member who could provide support to the ageing parents.The issue has raised concerns among serving Agniveers, who fear that uncertainty over benefits could affect the confidence of young people aspiring to join the armed forces.“Thousands of youths like us dream of serving in the armed forces and that was the reason we joined. If the state does not recognise us, then it should stop us from appearing for recruitment rallies,” said an Agniveer nearing completion of his four-year service.The delay in recognition attracted criticism from former military officers. “It was extremely painful and sad. How can the state govt ignore such a case? He was a youngster from the state who went to fight for the nation and died at the highest battlefield. The state should act promptly. The Army headquarters ensured that the family received all its dues. That was the respect the family should get,” said a retired Lieutenant General on the condition of anonymity.A retired Major General said the state’s position was difficult to justify. “This approach towards Agniveers was absolutely illogical. If the same Agniveer won a gallantry award, would the state govt not recognise his bravery? The state needs to treat a soldier as a soldier. An Agniveer serves the country and performs military duties just as recruited soldiers did in the past,” he said.
