Higher pension for Freedom Fighters: No clear data on rightful claimants

The real problem will involve actual verification of actual number of Freedom fighters. Political observers feel that the numbers, which the government is claiming is “superficial”.

Even the incumbent party veterans also feel that  the government should not depend on the reports of ground officers. Senior BJP leader and Member of Parliament Murli Manohar Joshi compared government highlighting numbers of government schemes to “superficial estimate of Birbal in Akbar regime”.

At present the government’s record says, 37,981 freedom fighters and their eligible dependent pensioners are covered under the scheme. Of these, 11,690 are freedom fighters themselves, 24,792 are spouses (widows/widowers) and 1,499 are daughter pensioners.  

Freedom fighter defines a person who takes part in a revolutionary struggle to achieve a political goal, especially in order to overthrow their government. According to Ministry of Home Affairs, there are two sections allotted for implementation of the Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension Scheme, 1980. “Freedom Fighters Wing” and “Rehabilitation Wing. Freedom Fighters Wing”.

Both of the wings take care of the, matters relating to welfare of freedom fighters of the country. Especially, The Rehabilitation Wing dealt with residual matters relating to Relief and Rehabilitation of displaced persons from East and West Pakistan; rehabilitation assistance to Sri-Lankan Refugees/Repatriates from Sri-Lanka; and the Tibetan Refugees staying in India including grant of protected area permits for visits to the Tibetan Settlements.

However, all the five Acts relating to Relief and Rehabilitation of displaced persons from East and West Pakistan were also repealed in 2005. So, political observers feel that the government should verify the recent numbers across the country after 70 years of Independence. They also feel that with the rise of amount the government should categorize the list accordance to the name of “Actual” Freedom fighters, the numbers of displaced persons and refugees and the numbers of eligible dependent pensioners.

In 1969, the Union Government introduced the ‘Ex-Andaman Political Prisoners Pension Scheme’ to honor the freedom fighters, who had been incarcerated in the Cellular Jail at Port Blair. In 1972, to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of Independence, a regular scheme for grant of freedom fighters’ pension was introduced. Thereafter, in 1980, a liberalised scheme, namely the ‘Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension Scheme’ was being implemented. 

Moreover, the Government of India should also be re-looked at whether the listed pensioners are alive or the relationships between pensioners are “Actual”, political observers also feel.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has been given the charge to implement the new scheme. According to a ministry official, the revised pension estimate for freedom fighters (ex-Andaman political prisoners) and their spouses has been enhanced from Rs. 24,775 to Rs. 30,000 per month. Apart from them, Pension of freedom fighters, who suffered outside British India, has been raised from Rs. 23,085 to Rs.28,000 per month. Pension of other freedom fighters, including those who were members of Indian National Army (INA), has been raised from Rs. 21,395 to Rs. 26,000 per month.