The money has reached the Army Headquarters and would be sent to the next of kin of those killed in the conflict, sources said. The additional Rs five lakh has been announced for the next of kin of each soldier killed because of the disparity in the state-wise compensation within India. `One State gives a soldier Rs 10 lakh, another Rs two lakh and the third probably just a piece of land. But Gorkha soldiers hailing from Nepal would miss out on all these as they hail from no state within India. Therefore the government decided to give them the additional Rs five lakh compensation,' sources said.

But no such compensation to bring about some parity is being given by the Central government to the next of kin of soldiers belonging todifferent States within India, an officer in the Army Headquarters conceded. All the other aspects of compensation remain the same for the Nepali Gorkha soldiers, he added. This means that the other factors like Rs five lakh for a dwelling unit would be distributed to the next of kin of the killed soldiers even in Nepal.

`Rs six lakh would be distributed to every soldier boarded out (discharged from the Army for being medically unfit) with 75 per cent or greater disability, Rs 4.5 lakh till 75 per cent and Rs 3 lakh for other disabled soldiers boarded out,' he added. This apart, the Nepali Gorkha soldiers are also eligible for Rs one lakh per child up to a maximum of Rs two lakh for education and Rs 1.2 lakh for dependent parent, the officer explained.

The Army again insisted that Operation Vijay is still not over. `From May 26 to end July was only one phase of the Operation with the immediate task of restoring the sanctity of the Line of Control and dislodging the infiltrators. However, Operation Vijayis still on. We are insisting that not only the casualties along the LoC but also those in the Kashmir valley be treated at par with Kargil casualties. The Government has to take a decision on this,' he added.

The Army has now classified it as Operation Vijay (Kargil) and Operation Vijay (Kashmir). `Soldiers are dying in Kashmir counter-insurgency operations every day. Kargil was only two months. This has been going on for 10 years. What do we tell the families of those killed in Kashmir when they ask why they are getting less compensation as compared to those killed in Kargil? Therefore the Army has requested the Government to make the compensation in Kargil, Siachen, Kashmir and the North-East equal,' said an officer.