Lok Sabha Question No. 1583 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-08
Subject: Pension to Freedom Fighters
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: CH. MALLA REDDY, BHAIRON PRASAD MISHRA, C.S. PUTTARAJU, ALOK SANJAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1583

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 08 TH  DECEMBER, 2015/AGRAHAYANA 17, 1937 (SAKA)

## PENSION TO FREEDOM FIGHTERS

1583.

SHRI CH. MALLA REDDY:

SHRI BHAIRON PRASAD MISHRA:

SHRI C. S. PUTTA RAJU:

SHRI ALOK SANJAR:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) the total number of freedom fighters, widows and the eligible dependents of freedom fighters who are receiving pension under the Central "Swatrantrata Sainik Samman Pension Scheme, 1980" along with facilities provided to them separately, State-wise;

- (b)  the  total  number  of  applications  received/pending/rejected  for  grant  of pension to the freedom fighters and the reasons for pendency of applications along with the steps taken to clear all the pending applications, State-wise;
- (c) whether any irregularities in the disbursement of freedom fighter pension has  been  detected  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  reaction  of  the Government in this regard;
- (d) whether the Government has directed the banks to update the records of such pensioners and if so, the details thereof and the response of the Banks in this regard; and
- (e)  the  details of  facilities  given  to  freedom  fighters  and  their  eligible dependent  along  with  the  steps  taken  to  enhance  the  facilities  provided  to freedom fighters?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

## L.S.U.S.Q.No. 1583 FOR 08.12.2015

(a):    The  total  number  of  the  freedom  fighters,  their  widows  and  eligible dependents receiving Central Samman Pension through various Banks as on 30 th   June,  2015  under  Swatantrata  Sainik  Samman  Pension  Scheme,  1980, State-Wise  is  given  in  the  Annexure-I.  Apart  from  the  pension,  the  freedom fighters/eligible  dependents  are  also  provided  various  facilities  as  per  the Annexure-II.

(b):    No  application  for  grant  of  pension,  complete  in  all  respects  and  duly verified  and  recommended  by  the  concerned  State  Government  is  pending with this Ministry.

(c)&(d):  During  the  course  of  ongoing  verification  of  pensioners  receiving Central freedom fighter pension through various Public Sector Banks, certain irregularities like disbursement of pension to more than 3,000 dead pensioners  for  many  years  after  their  death,  payment  of  wrong  amount  of pension  to  many  pensioners,  disbursement  of  dependent  family  pension  to ineligible  dependants  who  are  not  covered  under  the  scheme  have  come  to the  notice  of  the  Government.  The  banks  were  directed  to  recover  the excess/wrong  payment  made  to  the  pensioners/dead  pensioners  and  on account of recoveries banks have so far remitted Rs.46.77 crore to the Central Government  account.  As  a  corrective  measure,  revised  guidelines  for  the disbursement of Central Samman pension have been issued. Central Pension Accounting Office(CPAO) of the Ministry of Finance has been asked to keep reimbursement  to  the  banks  on  account  of  Central  Samman  Pension  within the  budgetary  provision.    A  Pension  Disbursement  Monitoring  Cell  has  been set up to verify/monitor the disbursement of Central Freedom Fighter Pension by various Public Sector Banks to the eligible pensioners.

(e): The details  of facilities  given  to  the  freedom  fighters  and  their  eligible dependents are as at Annexure-II. At present, the Government has no proposal to enhance the pension and facilities of freedom fighters.

## State-wise number of Central Freedom Fighter Pensioners / dependents who are drawing pension through Banks as on 30.06.2015

| S.NO.       | STATE/UT          |   Number of Central Freedom Fighter Pensioners |   Number of dependent spouses |   Number of dependent daughters |   Total |
|-------------|-------------------|------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------|
| 1           | ANDAMAN & NICOBAR |                                              9 |                            11 |                               0 |      20 |
| 2           | ANDHRA PRADESH    |                                           1460 |                          4257 |                             314 |    6031 |
| 3           | ASSAM             |                                            109 |                           502 |                               0 |     611 |
| 4           | BIHAR             |                                           1625 |                          1309 |                              38 |    2972 |
| 5           | CHANDIGARH        |                                             12 |                            10 |                               0 |      22 |
| 6           | CHHATTISGARH      |                                             26 |                            99 |                               2 |     127 |
| 7 DAMAN &   | DIU               |                                              5 |                             6 |                               2 |      13 |
| 8           | DELHI             |                                            149 |                           219 |                              22 |     390 |
| 9           | GOA               |                                            400 |                           269 |                               9 |     678 |
| 10          | GUJARAT           |                                            210 |                           182 |                              14 |     406 |
| 11          | HARYANA           |                                            165 |                           488 |                               9 |     662 |
| 12 HIMACHAL | PRADESH           |                                            161 |                           389 |                               4 |     554 |
| 13          | JAMMU & KASHMIR   |                                            161 |                           500 |                              68 |     729 |
| 14          | JHARKHAND         |                                             58 |                           108 |                               3 |     169 |
| 15          | KARNATAKA         |                                            576 |                          1222 |                              91 |    1889 |
| 16          | KERALA            |                                            173 |                          1128 |                              84 |    1385 |
| 17 MADHYA   | PRADESH           |                                            109 |                           236 |                               8 |     353 |
| 18          | MAHARASHTRA       |                                            888 |                          2925 |                              53 |    3866 |
| 19          | MANIPUR           |                                             10 |                             9 |                               0 |      19 |
| 20          | MEGHALAYA         |                                              1 |                            14 |                               2 |      17 |
| 21          | MIZORAM           |                                              1 |                             0 |                               0 |       1 |
| 22          | ODISHA            |                                            134 |                           404 |                              20 |     558 |
| 23          | PUDUCHERRY        |                                             11 |                            45 |                              10 |      66 |
| 24          | PUNJAB            |                                            507 |                           749 |                              21 |    1277 |
| 25          | RAJASTHAN         |                                            160 |                           127 |                               5 |     292 |
| 26          | SIKKIM            |                                              0 |                             1 |                               0 |       1 |
| 27          | TELANGANA         |                                           2626 |                          3519 |                              59 |    6204 |
| 28 TAMIL    | NADU              |                                            524 |                          1431 |                              50 |    2005 |
| 29          | TRIPURA           |                                             17 |                           156 |                              31 |     204 |
| 30          | UTTAR PRADESH     |                                            377 |                          1283 |                              50 |    1710 |
| 31          | UTTARAKHAND       |                                             80 |                           265 |                              11 |     356 |
| 32          | WEST BENGAL       |                                            946 |                          2929 |                             519 |    4394 |
|             | Total             |                                          11690 |                         24792 |                            1499 |   37981 |

## Facilities available to the Freedom Fighters

- i) free railway pass-AC-II Class in Rajdhani trains, Chair Car in Shatabdi trains  and  1 st
2. Class/AC  Sleeper  in  all  other  trains  for  the  freedom fighters/ their widows, along with a companion, for life; ii) free  medical  facilities  in  all  Central  Government  hospitals  and  in hospitals  run  by  PSUs  under  the  control  of  the  Bureau  of  Public Enterprises. C.G.H.S. facilities 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.  Widow  of  a freedom  fighter  is  also  permitted  to  retain  the  accommodation  for  a period of six months after death of the freedom fighter; vi) there  is  a  Freedom  Fighters'  Home  at  New  Delhi  providing  transit accommodation for freedom fighters/ their eligible dependents;  and
3. vii) In  addition  to  the  above  facilities,  ex-Andaman  freedom  fighters/their widows have also been allowed to avail free air travel facility to visit Andaman & Nicobar Islands, once a year, alongwith a companion.

*****

Annexure-II L.S.U.S.Q.No.1583 FOR 02.12.2015