Lok Sabha Question No. 2557 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-01
Subject: Pension to Freedom Fighters
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: TAMRADHWAJ SAHU, ASHWINI KUMAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †2557

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 01ST AUGUST, 2017 / SHRAVANA 10, 1939 (SAKA)

## PENSION TO FREEDOM FIGHTERS

†2557.

SHRI TAMRADHWAJ SAHU:

SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  number  of  freedom  fighters  and  their  dependents  who  are  receiving pension under the Central Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension Scheme along with the details of facilities and amount of pension granted to them separately, State-wise;
- (b): whether the Government has any proposal to increase the pension of such persons and if so, the details thereof along with the time by which it is likely to be increased;
- (c):  whether any revision Commission has been set up in this regard and if so, the details thereof;
- (d):   whether the Government has issued any guidelines to the States to send the names  of  freedom  fighters  to  consider  for  felicitation at felicitation ceremony organized  every  year  on  9 th   August  at  Rashtrapati  Bhavan  so  as  to send invitation  letters for the same; and
- (e):   if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI HANSRAJ GANGARAM AHIR)

- (a) State-wise total number of freedom fighters and their dependents receiving pension under Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension Scheme, 1980 (renamed as Swatantrata Sainik Samman  Yojana) is at Annexure-I. The details of benefits/facilities  and  amount  of  pension  granted  to  the  freedom  fighters  and their eligible dependents are as per Annexure-II and Annexure-III respectively. The amount of central freedom fighter pension is uniform for freedom fighters of all the States/UTs.

## L.S.US.Q.NO.2557 FOR 01.08.2017

(b)  & (c): The central freedom fighter pension/family pension has already been revised  and  increased  recently  by  the  Central  Government  with  effect  from 15.08.2016.    Dearness  Allowance/Relief  as  given  to  the  Central  Government employees/pensioners  twice  a  year,  has  been  made  applicable  to  the  central freedom fighter pensioners also.

(d)  &  (e)    No  standing  guidelines  have  been  issued  by  the  Government  to  the States/UTs  to  send  the  names  of  freedom  fighters  to  consider  them  for felicitation  at  felicitation  ceremony  organized  every  year  on  9 th   August  at Rashtrapati  Bhavan.    However,  letters  are  sent  to  the  States/UTs  every  year seeking nominations/names of freedom fighters for felicitation in the 'At Home' function  organized  by  the  President's  Secretariat  on  9 th   August  every  year. Name of only those freedom fighters are sought who are in receipt of central freedom  fighter  pension  under  Swatantrata  Sainik  Samman  Yojana.    Name  of one  nodal  officer  from  each  State/UT  and  one  escort/companion  for  each nominated freedom fighter, is also sought for attending the function.

*******

## STATE  WISE  LIST  OF  CENTRAL  FREEDOM  FIGHTERS  AND  THEIR  ELIGIBLE  DEPENDENTS DRAWING PENSION UNDER SWATANTRATA SAINIK SAMMAN YOJANA AS ON MARCH, 2017

| Sl no.   | State             |   Number of Central Freedom fighter pensioners |   Number of dependent spouse pensioners | Number of dependent daughter pensioners   |   Total |
|----------|-------------------|------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|---------|
| 1        | ANDAMAN & NICOBAR |                                             15 |                                       1 |                                           |      16 |
| 2        | ANDHRA PRADESH    |                                           1903 |                                    2986 | 48                                        |    4937 |
| 3        | ASSAM             |                                            134 |                                     464 | 138                                       |     736 |
| 4        | BIHAR             |                                           1858 |                                    1791 | 6                                         |    3655 |
| 5        | CHANDIGARH        |                                             15 |                                      17 | 0                                         |      32 |
| 6        | CHHATTISGARH      |                                             38 |                                     102 | 3                                         |     143 |
| 7        | DAMAN & DIU       |                                              7 |                                       6 | 0                                         |      13 |
| 8        | DELHI             |                                            156 |                                     241 | 20                                        |     417 |
| 9        | GOA               |                                            443 |                                     363 | 11                                        |     817 |
| 10       | GUJARAT           |                                            249 |                                     250 | 20                                        |     519 |
| 11       | HARYANA           |                                            214 |                                     496 | 11                                        |     721 |
| 12       | HIMACHAL PRADESH  |                                            259 |                                     315 | 5                                         |     579 |
| 13       | JAMMU & KASHMIR   |                                            161 |                                     497 | 75                                        |     733 |
| 14       | JHARKHAND         |                                             95 |                                     158 | 7                                         |     260 |
| 15       | KARNATAKA         |                                            542 |                                    1578 | 129                                       |    2249 |
| 16       | KERALA            |                                            187 |                                    1191 | 106                                       |    1484 |
| 17       | MADHYA PRADESH    |                                            168 |                                     320 | 12                                        |     500 |
| 18       | MAHARASHTRA       |                                           1646 |                                    3028 | 64                                        |    4738 |
| 19       | MANIPUR           |                                              8 |                                      11 | 2                                         |      21 |
| 20       | MEGHALAYA         |                                              3 |                                      17 | 3                                         |      23 |
| 21       | MIZORAM           |                                              1 |                                       0 | 1                                         |       2 |
| 22       | NAGALAND          |                                              1 |                                       1 | 0                                         |       2 |
| 23       | ODISHA            |                                            178 |                                     553 | 25                                        |     756 |
| 24       | PUDUCHERRY        |                                             26 |                                      87 | 11                                        |     124 |
| 25       | PUNJAB            |                                            571 |                                     676 | 18                                        |    1265 |
| 26       | RAJASTHAN         |                                            291 |                                      65 | 6                                         |     362 |
| 27       | SIKKIM            |                                              1 |                                       0 | 0                                         |       1 |
| 28       | TAMIL NADU        |                                            557 |                                    1658 | 37                                        |    2252 |
| 29       | TELANGANA         |                                           1065 |                                    1396 | 11                                        |    2472 |
| 30       | TRIPURA           |                                             18 |                                     150 | 42                                        |     210 |
| 31       | UTTAR PRADESH     |                                            522 |                                    1203 | 27                                        |    1752 |
| 32       | UTTARAKHAND       |                                            122 |                                     503 | 3                                         |     628 |
| 33       | WEST BENGAL       |                                           1203 |                                    3003 | 731                                       |    4937 |
|          | Grand Total       |                                          12657 |                                   23127 | 1572                                      |   37356 |

## Facilities provided to the Freedom Fighters

- i. Free  railway  pass  (2 nd /3 rd   AC  in  Duronto,  1 st   Class/2 nd   AC    by    any  train including Rajdhani/Shatabdi/Jan Shatabdi) for freedom fighters/their widow/widower, along with one companion in same class, for life;
- ii. Medical facilities under Central Government Health Services (C.G.H.S) and free  medical  treatment  in  hospitals  run  by  Public  Sector  Undertakings under  the  control  of  Department  of  Public  Enterprises  have  also  been extended to the freedom fighters and their dependents;
- iii. Telephone connection, subject to feasibility, without installation charges, and on payment of only half the rental;
- iv. Provision  of  4%  reservation  under  'Combined  Category'  for  Physically Handicapped Personnel(PH), Outstanding Sports Persons(OSP) and Freedom Fighters(FF) in the normal selection procedure adopted by Public Sector  Oil  Marketing  Companies  for  allotment  of  petrol  pumps,  gas agencies etc.
- v. General pool residential accommodation (within the overall 5% discretionary quota) to the freedom fighters in Delhi. Spouse of a freedom fighter is permitted to retain the accommodation for a period of six months after death of the freedom fighter;
- vi. There is a fully furnished and old age friendly Freedom Fighters' Home at New Delhi  providing  transit  accommodation  (stay  and  meal)  for  freedom fighters/ their eligible dependents;  and
- vii. In  addition  to  the  above  facilities,  ex-Andaman  freedom  fighters/their spouses  have  been  allowed  to  also  avail  free  air  travel  facility  to  visit Andaman & Nicobar Islands, once a year, alongwith a companion.

## LS.US.Q.No.2557 FOR 01.08.2017

## Annexure-III

## LS.US.Q.No.2557 FOR 01.08.2017

## MONTHLY AMOUNT OF PENSION PROVIDED UNDER SWATANTRATA SAINIK SAMMAN YOJANA

|   Sl. No. | Category of freedom fighters                                                    | Basic pension w.e.f. 15.08.2016 (per month)                                                                           | Dearness Relief @2% w.e.f. 01.01.2017   | Total amount of pension (in Rs.) per month                                                                            |
|-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | Ex-Andaman Political Prisoners/spouses                                          | Rs.30,000/-                                                                                                           | Rs. 600/-                               | Rs.30,600/-                                                                                                           |
|         2 | Freedom fighters who suffered outside British India/spouses                     | Rs.28,000/-                                                                                                           | Rs.560/-                                | Rs.28,560/-                                                                                                           |
|         3 | Other Freedom Fighters/spouses including INA                                    | Rs.26,000/-                                                                                                           | Rs.520/-                                | Rs.26,520/-                                                                                                           |
|         4 | Dependent parents/eligible daughters (maximum 3 daughters at any point of time) | 50% of the sum that would have been admissible to the Freedom Fighter i.e. in the range of Rs.13,000/- to Rs.15,000/- | Rs.260/- to Rs.300/-                    | 50% of the sum that would have been admissible to the Freedom Fighter i.e. in the range of Rs.13,260/- to Rs.15,300/- |