The Government has initiated several steps in the last three years in its commitment to improve the welfare of the Ex-Servicemen (ESM). This entails granting direct benefits amounting to an additional Rupees 2,200 crores annually.
Significant improvements in pension for Armed Forces personnel were made over and above the benefits that accrued out of implementation of the Sixth Central Pay Commission.
Following the acceptance of the 6th CPC recommendations, a Committee was set up under the chairmanship of no less than the Cabinet Secretary to look specifically into the pension and other matters related exclusively to the Armed Forces. The Committee submitted its report on June 30, 2009. Seven major recommendations of the committee were implemented by the Government with a financial implication of Rupees 2,200 Crores per annum. A major share of this amounting to Rs. 1,636 crores went towards further improving the pension of the Personnel Below Officer Ranks (PBORs), based on the recommendations of the Group of Ministers in the year 2006.
Conceding to a longstanding demand of the ESM population the Government also earmarked another Rs. 470.66crores by bringing about parity between pre- and post-1997 PBOR pensioners. The other welfare measures recommended by the Cabinet Secretary Committee that were approved by the Government with benefits accruing since January 1, 2006include removal of linkage of full pension with 33 years, inclusion of classification allowance for PBORs, revision of Lt. General pension after carving out a separate Pay Scale for them, broad-banding of percentage of disability/war injury pension for pre- January 1, 2006 disability / war injury pensioners and removal of cap on war injury element of pension in the case of disabled pensioners belonging to Category "E".
For the convenience of Ex- Servicemen a user-friendly software called "Suvigya" has been launched since last year on the website of CGDA (Controller General of Defence Accounts) i.e. www.cfida.nic.in which facilitates the pensioner to himself calculate and verify his pension. Discrepancies if any may be brought to the notice of the concerned PCDA and can also be resolved at the special camps organized by the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (ESW) at the ZilaSainik Boards. A soon-to-be-launched website of the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare will further keep in touch online with the ESM population and promptly resolve their grievances.
Apart from the direct monetary benefits accruing out of higher pension, the Department of ESW, now headed by a Secretary-level officer, under the Ministry of Defence, has approved other significant welfare measures. An ex-gratia of Rs. 9 lakhs w.e.f. April 1, 2011 was granted to invalided out Armed Forces Personnel with 100 percent disability. For lesser disability between 20 percent to 99 percent this amount would be reduced proportionately.Grant of family pension to childless widow of Armed Forces personnel including both officers and PBORs who died prior to January 1, 2006, which was discontinued on her remarriage, was restored retrospectively from the same date subject to certain conditions.
The Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) has been a model success of the Department of ESW, reaching out elementary healthcare and specialized treatment to the vast ESM population and their dependents to every remote nook and corner of the country. About 39 lakh number of ESM and their dependants are benefited by the ECHS healthcare facilities.
Bolstered by the ECHS success story, the Government sanctioned 199 additional ECHS polyclinics in October, 2010 to expand medical facilities to the ESM, in addition to the existing 227 polyclinics. Out of these 199, 61 polyclinics have become functional upto March 31, 2012.
In another fillip to the ECHS Scheme, the Government decided in January this year to extend the ECHS facility to Nepal, considering the large number of ESM population of Nepal origin settled there. This will benefit more than two-and-a-half lakh Nepal domiciled Gorkhas (NDG) Ex-Servicemen members including dependants.
In other major welfare measures the Government substantially raised since October, 2011 the War Memorial Hostels Grant from Rs. 900 to Rs. 1,350 per inmate for wards of War Widows, War Disabled and Attributable Disability Cases. For Non-Attributable Disability Cases grant revised from Rs. 450/- to Rs. 675/-. Financial assistance provided under RakshaMantri`s Discretionary Fund (RMDF) was also revised as follows:
Source: PIB
Significant improvements in pension for Armed Forces personnel were made over and above the benefits that accrued out of implementation of the Sixth Central Pay Commission.
Following the acceptance of the 6th CPC recommendations, a Committee was set up under the chairmanship of no less than the Cabinet Secretary to look specifically into the pension and other matters related exclusively to the Armed Forces. The Committee submitted its report on June 30, 2009. Seven major recommendations of the committee were implemented by the Government with a financial implication of Rupees 2,200 Crores per annum. A major share of this amounting to Rs. 1,636 crores went towards further improving the pension of the Personnel Below Officer Ranks (PBORs), based on the recommendations of the Group of Ministers in the year 2006.
Conceding to a longstanding demand of the ESM population the Government also earmarked another Rs. 470.66crores by bringing about parity between pre- and post-1997 PBOR pensioners. The other welfare measures recommended by the Cabinet Secretary Committee that were approved by the Government with benefits accruing since January 1, 2006include removal of linkage of full pension with 33 years, inclusion of classification allowance for PBORs, revision of Lt. General pension after carving out a separate Pay Scale for them, broad-banding of percentage of disability/war injury pension for pre- January 1, 2006 disability / war injury pensioners and removal of cap on war injury element of pension in the case of disabled pensioners belonging to Category "E".
For the convenience of Ex- Servicemen a user-friendly software called "Suvigya" has been launched since last year on the website of CGDA (Controller General of Defence Accounts) i.e. www.cfida.nic.in which facilitates the pensioner to himself calculate and verify his pension. Discrepancies if any may be brought to the notice of the concerned PCDA and can also be resolved at the special camps organized by the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (ESW) at the ZilaSainik Boards. A soon-to-be-launched website of the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare will further keep in touch online with the ESM population and promptly resolve their grievances.
Apart from the direct monetary benefits accruing out of higher pension, the Department of ESW, now headed by a Secretary-level officer, under the Ministry of Defence, has approved other significant welfare measures. An ex-gratia of Rs. 9 lakhs w.e.f. April 1, 2011 was granted to invalided out Armed Forces Personnel with 100 percent disability. For lesser disability between 20 percent to 99 percent this amount would be reduced proportionately.Grant of family pension to childless widow of Armed Forces personnel including both officers and PBORs who died prior to January 1, 2006, which was discontinued on her remarriage, was restored retrospectively from the same date subject to certain conditions.
The Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) has been a model success of the Department of ESW, reaching out elementary healthcare and specialized treatment to the vast ESM population and their dependents to every remote nook and corner of the country. About 39 lakh number of ESM and their dependants are benefited by the ECHS healthcare facilities.
Bolstered by the ECHS success story, the Government sanctioned 199 additional ECHS polyclinics in October, 2010 to expand medical facilities to the ESM, in addition to the existing 227 polyclinics. Out of these 199, 61 polyclinics have become functional upto March 31, 2012.
In another fillip to the ECHS Scheme, the Government decided in January this year to extend the ECHS facility to Nepal, considering the large number of ESM population of Nepal origin settled there. This will benefit more than two-and-a-half lakh Nepal domiciled Gorkhas (NDG) Ex-Servicemen members including dependants.
In other major welfare measures the Government substantially raised since October, 2011 the War Memorial Hostels Grant from Rs. 900 to Rs. 1,350 per inmate for wards of War Widows, War Disabled and Attributable Disability Cases. For Non-Attributable Disability Cases grant revised from Rs. 450/- to Rs. 675/-. Financial assistance provided under RakshaMantri`s Discretionary Fund (RMDF) was also revised as follows:
Scheme | Old rate | New rate | Remarks | |
Penury Grant | Rs. 30,000/- one time lump sum or Rs. 500/- pm for two years. | Rs. 1000/- pm for life time | For non- pensionersuptoHavaldar rank of 65 years and above age. | |
Educational grant | Boys upto + 2 | 200/- pm | Rs. 1000/- pm | Upto graduation irrespective of gender. |
| Girls upto + 2 | 400/-pm | |||
| Girls uptoGrdn | 600/- pm | |||
| Widows PG | 600/- pm | |||
Disabled Children grant | Rs. 500/- pm | Rs. 1000/- pm | pensioner/non- pensioneruptoHavaldar rank |
Source: PIB
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