Question : FREEDOM FIGHTERS

(a) the total number of freedom fighters, their widows and the eligible dependents who are receiving pension under the `Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension Scheme, 1980` separately, State-wise including Haryana;

(b) the total number of applications received/pending/rejected for grant of pension to the freedom fighters and their dependents and the people who took part in the movements to liberate Goa and Hyderabad along with the reasons for pendency and the steps taken to clear all the pending applications, State/UT-wise;

(c) the total funds disbursed to freedom fighters and their dependents during each of the last three years and the current year, State-wise; and

(d) the details of the verifications made and variations noticed in the amount of such pension disbursed to them and the steps taken to rectify the situation during the said period?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI R.P.N. SINGH)

(a): Since the inception of the Freedom Fighters Pension Scheme 1972, pension has been sanctioned to about 1.71 lakh freedom fighters and their eligible dependents till 30th November, 2013. The State wise list of number of freedom fighters and their eligible dependents who have been sanctioned pension upto 30th November, 2013 is annexed. According to information furnished by Public Sector Banks and State Governments/Union Territory Administrations, about 48,000 freedom fighters and their eligible dependents are drawing samman pension from the public sector banks and State Treasuries.

(b): Receipt and disposal of claims for grant of Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension is a continuous process. None of the applications for sanction of Samman pension alongwith the supporting documents received through the State Governments /Union Territory Administrations, except 32 re-verification reports from the Government of Andhra Pradesh which relate to applications for sanction of samman pension for participation in Hyderabad Liberation Movement, are pending for want of some clarifications sought from the State Government of Andhra Pradesh.

(c): Funds for freedom fighter pension are not allocated State-wise. The expenditure incurred during the last three years on account of pension and Railway Passes to the freedom fighters/their dependents are as under:-

Year	Pension	Railway Passes	in crore	in crore
2010-11	710.81	30.28
2011-12	821.03	21.85
2012-13	772.83	25.50
2013-14	455.77	05.10
(Upto Oct., 2013)