Chandigarh, March 24 The Punjab & Haryana High Court today issued notices to the Centre on a petition filed by a 90-year-old World War-II veteran’s widow. Subedar Narayan Singh of Samrala had served in the Indian Army. The widow has moved the High Court for fixation of his pension of the rank of naib subedar from July 10, 1947 onward instead of sepoy that he had been getting till date.
The petition was filed through the Legal Aid Cell of the All India Ex-servicemen Welfare Association at Chandigarh.
Bhim Sen Sehgal, Chairman of the All India Ex-servicemen Welfare, taking up the case, stated that the petitioner whose date of birth is August 21,1918, was enrolled in the Indian Army on August 21,1936, as a sepoy. He served during World War-II at Burma Front from July 25,1943 to August 22, 1946. He was promoted to the rank of Jemadar (now called naib subedar).
He was injured in action and declared as battle casualty. He was out of service from July 9, 1947 due to injuries after rendering 10 years, 10 months and 19 days of service and was granted disability pension by the CMA(P) Lahore from July 10, 1947 for life for which he was getting Rs 42 per month.
Sehgal further said after attaining the independence, the Government of India introduced new pension regulations called pension regulations for the Army 1961, which were to be effective from June 1, 1953, onwards and was made applicable to all the then existing pensioners.
However, the disability pension scales of the petitioner were not revised and the petitioner who was holding the rank of naib subedar was drawing total pension of Rs 182 per month only as on December 31, 1985. Sehgal further submitted that the petitioner is eligible and entitled to draw the pension for the rank of Naib Subedar which comes to Rs 637 per month from January 1, 1986 and Rs 2,016 from January 1, 1996 onward.
HC issues notice to Centre on ex-serviceman’s pension issue
Comment: War veterans still hope for pension. Many who have sacrificed their youth fighting wars in the pre- Independence era, have still not lost hope for their pension. Even at the ripe age, in their twilight years, of over 90 years age, they are fighting legal battles for pension which is their right. A very sad commentry on the functioning of our Bureaucracy. The "One Rank One Pension" demanded by the ESM should be implented forthwith to reduce burgeoning civil cases causing untold agony to the affected ESM. Another sample of apathy read the link: Travails of a ESM widow: Forwarded by Lt Col Pritam Singh Jauhal (Retd) World War II Veteran
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