In order to mitigate the problems faced by families of officers and jawans who lose their lives fighting insurgency, the government of India has decided to set up a welfare and rehabilitation board for the central police forces.

'The government has constituted a Welfare And Rehabilitation Board for the central police forces. This landmark welfare measure will provide an institutionalised mechanism to look into the welfare and rehabilitation requirements of central police force personnel.  The task of WARB will include looking after immediate dependents of personnel dying in harness, extending help to resolve personal problems relating to children's education, land/property issues, serious medical problems, etc', a press handout issued by the ministry of home affairs said.

The board will be headed by director general of central police officers in rotation. The vice chairperson will be of the rank of the additional director general of police and will belong to the same cadre as the director general to facilitate better understanding and smooth functioning of the organisation.

The administration will be run by the officers not less than the rank of inspector generals of the police.

'This Board will have an all-India presence with six central welfare officers, 29 state welfare officers and 124 district welfare officers', according to the details provided in the press handout.

There had been a long-standing demand for setting up such board as the families often complained that once the officer or jawan was cremated with full state honours, no-one cares about the families and they are left to fend for themselves.