Question : FACILITIES TO EX SERVICEMEN

(a) the facilities being provided by the Government to the Ex-servicemen and their widows and other dependent family members for their welfare and employment at present;

(b) whether the Government has received representations from the personnel disabled on duty and war widows/ dependents regarding allowances and facilities;

(c) if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government proposes to launch any new scheme for the re-settlement of Ex-servicemen during the 12th Five Year Plan period; and

(e) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken or being taken by the Government for the welfare of Ex-servicemen and war widows?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE (SHRI M.M. PALLAM RAJU)

(a) Eligible Ex-servicemen are granted pension; their families are granted family pension according to rules. Pensioners / family pensioners are also eligible for health care facilities under ECHS.

Government also provides facilities for re-employment, education, and several other welfare measures. Various facilities for welfare and employment of Ex-servicemen, widows and their dependents are listed at Appendix ‘A’.

(b) & (c): Representations received from the personnel disabled on duty and war widows / dependants regarding allowances and facilities are considered based on relevant rules / provisions governing the same. Various types of pension including disability pension is listed in Appendix ‘A’.

(d) & (e): Improving welfare of ex-servicemen and war widows is a continuous process, and action is taken in this regard from time to time based on the requirement. Various steps taken for welfare of Ex-servicemen and war widows have been detailed in Appendix ‘A’. Recently quantum of financial assistance under various welfare schemes has been enhanced.

APPENDIX “A” REFERRED IN THE REPLY GIVEN IN PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 7170 FOR ANSWER ON 21.5.2012

A:Pensionary Benefits:

Pension and other pensionary benefits are provided under various categories to ESM, widows & dependents. These categories are-

i) Retiring/Service Pension

ii) Disability Pension

iii) War Injury Pension

iv) Ordinary Family Pension

v) Special Family Pension

vi) Liberalised Family Pension

Ex-gratia lump sum is given to Next of Kin (NoK) killed in action or in course of duty. Now,ex-gratia of Rs. 9.00 lakhs is also given to armed forces personnel invalided out of service with 100% disability. Proportionate ex-gratia is given for disability between 20% and 99%. This is given over and above the disability pension already admissible to them.

B:Resettlement/Re-employment measures:

(a) TRAINING PROGRAMME

i) Officer’s Training.

ii) JCO/OR Training.

iii) Ex-Servicemen (ESM) Training.

(b) RE-EMPLOYMENT

i) Central and State Government.

ii) Re-employment through DGR.

iii) DGR sponsored Security scheme.

(c) LOAN RELATED WELFARE SCHEMES

i) Entrepreneur Schemes.

ii) Herbal and Medicinal Plants.

iii) Horticulture.

iv) Floriculture.

v) Franchising.

vi) Other Business Activities.

(d) SELF EMPLOYMENT SCHEMES

i) Ex-Servicemen Coal Loading and Transportation Scheme.

ii) Coal Tipper Attachment Scheme.

iii) Management of CNG Station by ESM(Officers) in NCR.

iv) Mother Dairy Milk Booths and Fruit & Vegetable (Safal) shops.

v) Allotment of Oil Product Agencies under 8% Defence quota.

vi) Allotment of LPG Agency under Rajiv Gandhi Gramin LPG VitrakYojana.

vii) Allotment of Regular LPG, Distributor under 18% quota.

viii) Sponsorship of ESM(O) of COCO Operatorship.

ix) Allotment of Army Surplus Vehicles.

C: Educational Concessions:

i) Full reimbursement of Tuition Fee & Hostel charges for wards of Ex-servicemen (ESM) missing, disabled, killed in action up to first graduation course.

ii) Messing & accommodation to children of war widow, war disabled and disabled in attributable cases in 35 War Memorial Hostels.

iii) Education grant of Rs. 1000/- pm to children of ESM up to Hawaldar rank up to graduation.

iv) Prime Minister’s Scholarship: 4000 Scholarships are given every year to wards of martyrs & ESM for pursuing various recognised professional degree courses like MBBS, B-Tech etc.

v) Reservation of Defence quota seats in Medical/Dental colleges.

D: Health Care:

i) Health care under Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS).

ii) Financial assistance for serious ailments from Armed Forces Flag Day Fund to Ex-servicemen.

iii) Financial assistance to Institutions from Armed Forces Flag Day Fund to following institutions-

a) Paraplegic Centre at Kirkee and Mohali

b) St. Dunstan’s After Care Organisation, Dehradun

c) Cheshire Homes at Delhi, Dehradun, Lucknow

E: Other Welfare Schemes:

Financial assistance is provided to Ex-servicemen/widow/dependents from Armed Forces Flag Day Fund under various Schemes.

i) Financial assistance under Raksha Mantri Discretionary Fund (RMDF)

ii) Supply of Modified (self starter) Scooter to Ex-servicemen

iii) Tool kit to Ex-servicemen Technician

iv) Reimbursement of interest by subsidy on loans from Banks for Construction of house to war bereaved, war disabled and attributable cases of peace time casualties and their dependents.