Naveen Kumar D, a head constable from Telangana, has been conferred with Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak for saving 40 people from a fire in Khammam’s Cheemalapadu village.
Kumar, unfortunately, lost a leg in the incident after a gas cylinder exploded.
Recalling the incident, he told ANI, “I am Naveen Kumar Head Constable, working in the CR Head Quarter 2003 batch. I got promoted in 2016 as head constable.”
“I was working near the Karepally CI as a driver. So during a BRS Atmiya Sammelan, I went with CI as a part of duty. While we were coming back, we saw fire in the huts. We went there, sent the people away from the fire, and cleared the vehicles as well. The fire was doused,” Kumar told.
“However, all of a sudden, there was a blast (cylinder). I got injured in the blast and was taken to the Sankalp hospital, where they removed my leg,” Kumar said.
“It was our SP Vishnu Warrier who took great care after the accident; he helped me like a brother. He has been transferred but I would like to thank him for the encouragement. I am alive because of his encouragement,” Naveen Kumar D told ANI.
President Droupadi Murmu has approved the conferment of the Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards 2023 on 31 persons, which includes Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak to three, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak to seven and Jeevan Raksha Padak to 21 persons, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Thursday.
Master Anthony Vanmawia, Ms Melody Lalremruati of Mizoram and Sooraj R of Central Reserve Police Force are the three awardees posthumously honoured with Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak.
The recipients of Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak are Sahil Bisso Lad from Goa, Kajal Kumari from Jharkhand, Naveen Kumar D from Telangana, Vinod Kumar from the Border Roads Organisation, Havildar Shera Ram of the Ministry of Defence, Mukesh Kumar from the National Disaster Response Force, and Naresh Kumar from the National Investigation Agency.
Those selected for Jeevan Raksha Padak are MS Anil Kumar from Andaman and Nicobar Islands); Jeetam Parameswara Rao from Andhra Pradesh; Samarjit Basumatary from Assam; Sudesh Kumar from Chandigarh; Justin George and Wilson from Kerala; Padma Thinlass and Mohd Afzal from Ladakh; Adika Rajaram Patil, Priyanka Bharat Kale and Sonali Sunil Balode from Maharashtra; Maria Michael A and S Vijayakumar from Tamil Nadu; Naresh Joshi from Uttarakhand; Arjun Malik of Border Roads Organisation; Amit Kumar Singh from Border Security Force; Sher Singh from Central Industrial Security Force; Sonu Sharma from Central Industrial Security Force; Abdul Hameed and Sunil Kumar Mishra from Ministry of Defence; and Shashikant Kumar from Ministry of Railways.
The Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards are given to a person for a meritorious act of human nature in saving the life of a person.
The award is given in three categories, namely, Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak and Jeevan Raksha Padak. People from all walks of life are eligible for these awards. The award can also be conferred posthumously.
The decoration of the award (medal, certificate signed by the Union Home Minister and lump sum monetary allowance) is presented to the awardees in due course by the respective union ministries, organisations, and state governments to which the awardee belongs.
(With inputs from ANI)
