Welfare Of Defence Personnel - "One Rank One Pension"

Welfare Of Defence Personnel

A committee was constituted under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary to look in the issue of ‘One Rank One Pension and other related issues’. After considering all aspects and keeping in mind the spirit of the demand, several recommendations to substantially improve pensionary benefits of Armed Forces pensioners have been made, which have been accepted and are as follows:-

(i) Inclusion of classification Allowance for PBOR from January 01, 2006.

(ii) Removal of linkage of full pension with 33 years from January 01, 2006.

(iii) Revision of Lt General Pension after carving out a separate pay scale for them.

(iv) Bringing parity between pension of pre and post October 10, 1997 PBOR pensioners.

(v) Further improving PBOR pensions based on award of Group of Ministers 2006.

(vi) Broad banding percentage of disability /war injury pensions for pre- January 01, 2006 disability/war injury pensioners.

(vii) Removal of cap on war injury element of pension in the case of disabled pensioners belong to Category E.

Government orders in implementation of the same have been issued on October 30, 2009, January 19, 2010, January 20, 2010 and March 08, 2010. Approximately 12 lac pensioners are benefitted by the recommendations.

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Shri MM Pallam Raju in a written reply to Smt Sumitra Mahajan in Lok Sabha today.
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Welfare of Ex-Servicemen - Defence Minister informed in Lok Sabha

Welfare of Ex-Servicemen

The number of ex-servicemen as on date in the country, statewise is as under:-

Sl No.	State	Number of Ex-Servicemen
1.	Andhra Pradesh	72801
2.	Arunachal Pradesh	1148
3.	Assam	42722
4.	Bihar	106997
5.	Chandigarh	375
6.	Chhatisgarh	1677
7.	Dadra Nagar Haveli	8
8.	Delhi	16887
9.	Goa Daman & Diu	424
10.	Gujarat	24433
11.	Haryana	217528
12.	Himachal Pradesh	110508
13.	Jammu & Kashmir	95282
14.	Jharkhand	11692
15.	Karnataka	65448
16.	Kerala	138114
17.	Madhya Pradesh	52596
18.	Maharastra	170431
19.	Manipur	7656
20.	Meghalaya	3041
21.	Mizoram	3723
22.	Nagaland	4677
23.	Orissa	34342
24.	Pondicherry	1153
25.	Andaman & Nicobar	823
26.	Lakshadweep	47
27.	Punjab	306743
28.	Rajasthan	167175
29.	Sikkim	911
30.	Tamil Nadu	129718
31.	Tripura	2257
32.	Uttar Pradesh	300643
33.	Uttarakhand	98326
34.	West Bengal	70399
	Total	2260705

The details of schemes being implemented for the welfare, rehabilitation and resettlement of ex-servicemen is as under:

Training

Ex-Servicemen are given training to prepare them for civilian life. Directorate General Resettlement is entrusted with the responsibility of preparing both-Ex-Servicmen and retiring service personnel for second carrier. Towards this end Officers and PBORs are given resettlement training at IIMs and various other institutes across the country.

Self Employment

The following self-employment schemes are operated for the welfare of officers and PBORs Ex-Servicemen:

(i) Security agencies.

(ii) Allotment of surplus army vehicles.

(iii) Coal Transportation Scheme.

(iv) Allotment of oil product agencies.

(v) Coal Tipper scheme.

(vi) Allotment of BPCL GHAR outlets.

(vii) Mother Dairy Milk and Fruits and Vegetables shops.

(viii) Management of CNG station by ESM officers in NCR.

(ix) Management of Toll Plaza under NHAI.

Financial Assistance

(i) Treatment of serious ailments

(ii) Supply of modified scooters for ESM paraplegics

(iii) Tools kits for ESM technician

(iv) Financial assistance for needy ESM for house repair, daughters marriage, children education etc.

Prime Minister’s Merit Scholarship Scheme

4000 scholarships are awarded every year to the wards of ex-servicemen to pursue technical and professional course.

Funds for maintenance of paraplegic rehabilitation centres, Cheshire home and St. Dustan aftercare organisation and war memorial hostels.

Besides the above the following benefits are also available to Ex-servicemen:-

(i) Tuition fee exemption for wards of war widows/war disable ex-Servicemen.

(ii) Allotment of medical / BDS seats to wards of defence personnel

(iii) Reservation in State Government jobs and in professional colleges for wards of ESM/widows.

(iv) Reservation in allotment of house sites/flats.

(v) Cash incentives for winners of gallantry awards.

(vi) Exgratia grant to war widows.

(vii) Concession in fare for rail and air to recipients of gallantry awards, permanently disabled officers and war widows.

(viii) Legal assistance and exemption of court fee

(ix) 10 to 24.5 % reservation in Group C and D posts in Central and State Government, PSUs, nationalized banks and paramilitary forces.

Medical Facility:

Along with the above benefit 100 % medical coverage is provided to ex-servicemen pensioners through Ex-Service Contributory health Scheme (ECHS), who are members of the scheme.

State-wise details of beneficiaries/expenditure are not maintained, however during the last three years 4326 officers, 83079 PBORs and 2998 Ex-Servicemen were trained for resettlement. In addition 1,17,779 Ex-Servicemen were provided employment during this period through Directorate General Resettlement. The expenditure for resettlement and welfare during the last three years is Rs. 100.18 crores. Moreover, Rs. 2009.77 crores was spent on medical treatment of Ex-Servicemen and their dependents.

The amount for rehabilitation of Ex-Servicemen is based on the yearly requirement as projected by the implementing agencies. Ex-Servicemen are getting appropriate placements.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Harishchandra Chavan in Lok Sabha today.
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