REVISION OF MINIMUM SPECIAL FAMILY PENSION

RATIONALIZATION OF CASUALTY PENSIONARY

AWARDS FOR ARMED FORCES.

The MOD and the PCDA(P) Allahabad issued orders for the revision of Special Family Pension, Liberalized Family Pension/Disability/War Injury pension for pre & post 01.01.2006 pensioners.

The revised casualty pensionary awards payable to all the Ranks of the living pensioners and the widows should have been indicated either by MOD or by the PCDA(P) Allahabad, by means of a chart/table. But it seems, has not been done intentionally to create more and more anomaly and create more and more confusion to the PDAs.

Before taking up the other revised casualty awards, let us see the effect of increase in the Minimum Special Family Pension.

The minimum Special Family Pension (SFP) has been increased from Rs.3825 (With DP) to Rs.7000/- vide MOD letter No.16/(6)/2008(1)/D(Pension/Policy) MOD dt.04.05.2009. The widows of Sepoys, Naiks and Havildars will be benefited. But the question is, will all the Banks, Treasuries and DPDOs pay promptly? A big ‘No’ is the answer. Past experiences show that they will not be paid promptly and correctly.

90% of the widows are not aware of what is Special Family Pension? The Banks will be referring the Oxford dictionary to find out the meaning of ‘Casualty Pensionary Awards’. They cannot identify the PPO of a Special

Family Pension. Still there are many widows getting Ordinary Family Pension from the Banks by holding Special

Family Pension PPOs in their hands. This is the reality. The writer has experienced lot many cases during the the

past 18 years. The Tirunelveli District Ex-servicemen Welfare Association took up a project on this issue and

got arrears paid to the tune of more than one Crore from the Banks to more than 40 widows. Still there may be

many more cases of this nature.

So then what is the solution? It is the All India Federation/Association should take up this task to make sure the benefits of these orders reach each and every pensioner.

I request the IESM Core group to set up a project in this regard. The details of the special category of pensioners should obtain from PCDA(P) Allahabad through RTI. The Project Leader will be given the responsibility of contacting all pensioners & Banks, calculate the arrears to be paid to each pensioner and make the banks to pay.

The expenses incurred on the project can be recovered from the pensioners by means of donation fixed on certain percentage of the arrears payable to the pensioner. This type of project if taken up now specifically targeting these three lower ranks (Sep, Naiks & Havildars) will be more beneficial to the individual pensioners as well as to the IESM by way of increased membership and donation to the IESM.

The arrears position with to this order is as follows:-

1. The 40% arrears of revised SFP should have been paid

as per Annexure I of MOD letter dt.11.11.08 up to Aug 08 -- -- Rs.11,960.00

2. The 60% of arrears yet to be paid -- -- -- Rs.17,940.00

3. The 40% of arrears payable as per revised SFP to the

Widows of Sep, Naiks & Havildars -- -- -- Rs.22,160.00

4. The 60% of arrears payable from the revised SFP -- Rs.33,252.00

As per the above revised SFP orders/calculations, every Special family pensioner (the widows of Sep, NK & Hav) should get a total arrears of Rs.55,420/- up May 2008., and thereafter their monthly pension would be regulated as follows:-

Revised Basic Special Family Pension -- Rs.7,000.00

Dearness Relief @ 22% -- Rs.1,540.00

Total -- Rs.8,540.00

Note: A fixed Medical Allowance of Rs.100 will have to be paid in the pensioner is a non-member of ECHS.

Special Note to IESM Core Group: The IESM core group should take up this issue seriously with MOD & PCDA(P) and made sure that all Widows are getting their arrears correctly and in time. By this the IESM membership & the financial position will improve.

Revised Casualty Pensionary awards orders - Click