Freedom fighters, their kin getting meagre pension in Punjab
Unlock Exclusive Insights with The Tribune Premium
Take your experience further with Premium access. Thought-provoking Opinions, Expert Analysis, In-depth Insights and other Member Only Benefits
Advertisement
Vishav Bharti
Tribune News Service
Advertisement
Chandigarh, August 14
In Chandigarh, amount not hiked for 12 yrs
In Chandigarh, there are just six eligible beneficiaries under the scheme. However, the UT administration pays just Rs2,500 to each of them. The pension for freedom fighters has not been increased for the past 12 years. The scheme was notified as the Chandigarh Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension Scheme, 1994.
Advertisement
Though the Congress government had made many promises in the Assembly election manifesto, there seems to be no end to the wait of freedom fighters and their kin in Punjab for getting a hike in the meagre pension.
In the state, there are 1,021 eligible beneficiaries under the Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension Scheme, but they get just Rs 7,500 monthly pension under the scheme. This pension was hiked way back in 2014, said Veerendra Kumar Meena, Principal Secretary, Freedom Fighters Department.
Interestingly, in the neighbouring Haryana, the pension is Rs 30,000. Before coming to power, the Congress had made lofty promises to freedom fighters in its election manifesto. It had planned to hike the pension to Rs 15,000 three years back, but nothing was done. Even poorer states like Odisha pay more pension to their freedom fighters.
Punjab had played an important role during the country’s freedom movement. Just after the Independence, the Government of India recognised 34,000 men and women from Punjab as freedom fighters. Over 2,000 laid down their lives in a long struggle for Independence. Of them, only a few survived. Now, the pension is being given to their eligible kin.
Advertisement
Advertisement