Chief Minister N Biren Singh

Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh has announced an ex-gratia scheme of Rs 5 lakh for the families of those killed in the line of duty while serving in the Indian Army and paramilitary forces.

Chief minister Singh made the announcement while delivering the 74th Independence Day speech at 1st Manipur Rifles parade ground in Imphal on Saturday.

He said that the new scheme is called Major Laishram Jotin Singh ex-gratia scheme.

“The state cabinet also took a formal decision in this regard. The scheme is instituted for its implementation in future,” Singh said.

The scheme for the state’s residents has been named after Major Laishram Jotin Singh, a doctor with the Indian Army from Manipur, who died in fighting a suicide bomber in Kabul on February 26, 2010.

He was also conferred the country’s highest peacetime gallantry medal, Ashok Chakra, posthumously in 2011.