Lauding the role of village watchmen in keeping an eye on crime and criminals at the village level, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday announced to increase their honorarium to Rs 11,000.

This apart, the CM also announced the village watchmen will get uniform allowance of Rs 4,000 along with a bicycle after every five years and Rs 1,000 annually for stick and torch batteries.

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This was after the CM met the representatives of village chowkidars from across the state including Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Charkhi Dadri, Hisar, Fatehabad, Sirsa, Karnal today.

Khattar said the rural watchmen is an important link in rural areas. “Apart from birth and death registration, now complete cooperation is taken from village watchmen in marriage registration work as well,” he said.

The CM said now watchmen will get Rs 400 every month instead of Rs 300 for their cooperation in death registration work of the village. He said that online arrangements will be made for the honorarium of watchmen.

He said the increased honorarium for watchmen will be implemented from October 2023 and will be given in the honorarium for the month of November.

The CM said in case of sudden death of any BPL family member in the age group of 18 to 45 years in the state, the government is providing financial assistance of Rs Five lakh to their kin.

Apart from this, an amount of Rs Three lakh is being given to persons aged between 45 to 60 years in case of sudden death. He said rural watchmen will also be given a benefit of Rs Five lakh in case of accidental death.

Khattar said families with an income of Rs 1.80 lakh are being given the benefit under Ayushman Bharat Yojana. Apart from this, health benefits up to Rs Five lakh are being given to families with income up to Rs Three lakh under the Dayalu Yojana.

He said that rural watchmen will be given a lump sum benefit of Rs Two lakh during retirement on the lines of Anganwadi workers. Apart from this, under the EPF scheme, the watchmen have to contribute 12 per cent by themselves and the 12 per cent is being deposited by the government.

The CM said rural watchmen of the villages which come under Municipal Corporation will be adjusted on other posts as per their qualification. This decision will prove to be very effective for the watchmen. Rural Chowkidars will be adjusted on posts in the Municipal Corporation as per their qualifications, he added.