Firemen ke gusse ki aag kab bujhegi?

A year after they rescued 500 people at Taj, firemen haven't been given promised awards

A year after they rescued 500 people at Taj, firemen haven't been given promised awards

Around 200 firemen had bravely rescued people from the Taj Mahal Palace and Towers on November 26 last year. But so far only seven have been given the nation's peacetime gallantry awards.

To ensure that the efforts of others too are recognised, the fire brigade's union had sent several requests to the BMC.

But now, the civic body has finally decided to take some action. It will soon forward a list of the unrecognised firemen to the state government, which will then take appropriate action.

Corporator Shraddha Jadhav, who is also the secretary of the union, said, "Seven firemen were awarded even though only some of them deserve it.

UNFAIR: The firemen who rescued people at the Taj during the 26/11 terrorist attacks are yet to get the increments that were recommended.

It is unfair and demoralising for those who actually risked their lives and saved people and still didn't get rewarded, while their subordinates who didn't do much got the award.

Recently, former fire chief P D Karguppikar got the President's Award even though he didn't deserve it. We had objected earlier, but nothing happened.

So, we have requested the BMC to at least forward list of other deserving candidates again."

According to Jadhav, many firemen also did not get increments.

"381 firemen were recommended for special increments, but very few actually got it," she said. That list too will be forwarded. "We will make sure justice is delivered."

The Other Side

Manisha Mhaiskar, additional municipal commissioner, said, "We are in the process of finalising names that were missed.

The unions and individuals from the fire brigade raised the issue."

500
The number of people rescued by the fire brigade from the Taj Mahal Palace and Towers

200
The number of firemen who undertook rescue operations at u00a0the Taj

2
The number of bulletproof jackets the firemen had among them