The Kerala government on Wednesday, December 15, announced a government job and financial assistance of Rs 8 lakh to the wife of Junior Warrant Officer A Pradip, who was killed along with Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Bipin Rawat and 13 others in a chopper crash in Tamil Nadu on December 8. A decision to this effect was taken in the weekly Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The decision to offer a job to Srilekshmi was announced by State Revenue Minister K. Rajan. The nature of the job would be decided after taking into account her educational qualifications.
"Financial assistance of Rs 8 lakh which includes Rs 3 lakh to Pradip's ailing father and Rs 5 lakh to Srilekshmi will also be provided," said Rajan. Thirty-eight-year-old Pradip's final journey had begun last Saturday in Sulur, from where his mortal remains were brought to his home in Thrissur.
After his death, many remembered the officer’s contributions during the 2018 Kerala floods. A picture of Pradeep in action during the 2018 Kerala floods was shared widely on social media. Pradeep had opted to join the helicopter squad which was engaged in rescue works at various locations in the state and for these efforts he was commended by the President of India when the state witnessed the worst floods in a century.
A massive crowd had gathered at Pradip's house where the last rites were held with full military honours. He was accorded a full state funeral. His father, who was a casual labourer, had stopped working after he joined IAF in 2002. Pradip was next to his ailing father, who was hospitalised, for two weeks and had left for Sulur just four days before the tragedy. His mother was a member of the local workforce in the National Rural Employment Guarantee programme.
With IANS inputs