The Maharashtra government has approved a plan to increase the financial assistance provided to the leaders, activists, and social workers who were imprisoned during the 1975 Emergency. This decision was made during a cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The increase in the monthly honorarium will also benefit the surviving spouses of these democracy defenders.
The revised honorarium structure stipulates that individuals jailed for more than a month during the Emergency (June 25, 1975, to March 31, 1977) will receive Rs 20,000 per month. Their surviving spouses will receive Rs 10,000 monthly. Those who spent less than a month in jail will be granted Rs 10,000 monthly, and their spouses will receive Rs 5,000 per month.
To avail of the benefits, the surviving spouses must apply at the office of the concerned District Magistrate. For those activists who passed away before January 2, 2018, their spouses can apply with an affidavit.
The state government initiated a scheme in 2018 to provide a monthly honorarium to these activists. This expansion aims to provide more financial assistance to them and their families.