Agnipath scheme under scrutiny: Nearly 20 Agniveers die within 1st year of service
Majority of deaths reported in Army, IAF reports first Agniveer suicide
Army clarifies compensation details amid allegations and Parl debate
In a developing saga of controversy and tragedy, the Agnipath scheme has come under scrutiny following reports of approximately 20 deaths among Agniveers within a year of their induction. The first batch of Agniveers joined the Army in August 2023, marking the beginning of a tumultuous period for the scheme.
Recent reports have highlighted the deaths of around 18 Agniveers serving in the Army, with the latest fatality being the suicide of an Indian Air Force (IAF) Agniveer, Srikant Kumar Chaudhary, aged 22. Chaudhary, hailing from Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh, allegedly took his own life while on sentry duty at the Air Force Station in Agra. His death has prompted an inquiry by the Air Force to determine the circumstances leading to the tragic incident, marking the first such death within the IAF under the Agnipath scheme.
Meanwhile,
Trinamool
Congress (TMC) stated in a post on X, “With yet another life lost to the anxiety caused by BJP’s unplanned Agnipath scheme, at least 20 Agniveers chose to end their own lives in less than a year! The suicide of a 22-year-old at Agra air force station is the result of BJP-led Centre’s utter disregard for consultation.”
The controversy surrounding the Agnipath scheme deepened with the first reported suicide among Army Agniveers, Amritpal Singh, aged 19, in Jammu. The Army’s initial decision not to accord him a military funeral due to the nature of his death sparked criticism and raised questions about the scheme’s support mechanisms for its participants.
The subsequent death of Agniveer Gawate Akshay Laxman in Siachen added fuel to the debate, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi publicly denouncing the scheme, labeling it an insult to soldiers.
Further intensifying the debate, the issue of compensation and benefits for deceased Agniveers has become contentious. Rahul Gandhi and Defence minister Rajnath Singh engaged in a heated exchange in Parliament over the compensation provided to the family of Agniveer Ajay Singh, who died in a landmine blast in Jammu & Kashmir.
Gandhi alleged that Singh’s family received no compensation, while Rajnath Singh refuted these claims, asserting that the government had disbursed Rs 1 crore to families of Agniveers who die in the line of duty. Clarifying the financial support provided, Army sources disclosed that Ajay Singh’s family had already received Rs 98.39 lakh, including insurance and other benefits. A breakdown of the disbursement revealed that Rs 50 lakh was credited in February, Rs 48 lakh in June through a government scheme, and an additional Rs 1 lakh recently.WITH