Mumbai, Jun 26 (IANS): In a major decision, the Maharashtra government has permitted families of police personnel, who succumbed to Covid-19, to continue living in their official staff quarters till the concerned deceased police personnel's normal date of retirement, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said here on Friday.

"No bereaved family of any police personnel, who lost their lives on the frontline in the war on Corona, should be worried about the roof on their heads," Deshmukh assured.

Accordingly, all the families of the police personnel who were felled by Covid-19, shall be allowed to continue occupying the officially allotted residence till the concerned personnel's due retirement date, he announced.

In Maharashtra, around 4,400 police personnel are affected by Corona and around 54 have lost their lives Covid-19.

The home minister said the government has taken this decision on humanitarian grounds in view of the grave crises before the state.

"It is heartening that 3,282 of these have recovered but it is also tragic that 54 of them have succumbed," he added.

Besides the state government is already giving a compensation of around Rs 65 lakhs to the kin of the police personnel who lose their lives in the war against the virus.

The move was welcomed in police circles as it would prevent abruptly uprooting the families of the deceased cops and create problems of jobs or education for their children.