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Apex
court anguished over Rs.80 pension to major's widow
Friday, September 17, 2010 10:28:26 PM,
IANS
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New Delhi:
The Supreme Court Friday voiced dismay over a paltry Rs.80 pension
being paid to the octogenarian widow of an Indian Army Major who
fought in the 1962 and 1965 wars.
"Now-a-days you can't even buy a one kilo of pulses for Rs. 80,"
observed the bench of Justice Markandey Katju and Justice T.S.
Thakur while issuing notice to the central government and the army
chief.
Even before the widow's counsel B.B. Trikha could present his
case, Justice Katju expressed his exasperation saying: "What all
is happening?"
Petitioner Pushpa Vanti is the widow of Major Dharam Chand, who
joined the British India Army in 1937 and was promoted as a Junior
Commissioned Officer in 1946. He was granted permanent commission
in 1948.
The court was told that Major Dharam Chand fought in World War II
and in the 1962 and 1965 wars against China and Pakistan. He died
March 1, 1967, after which Pushpa Vanti was granted family pension
of Rs.80.
Pushpa Vanti pleaded that while the family of Sepoys get more than
Rs.150 as family pension, she, a widow of a major with 30 years of
service, got a meagre Rs.80.
She described her situation as humiliating. She told the court
that earlier army authorities used to acknowledge her
communications. But after 1975 even acknowledgment of her
representation stopped.
The petitioner made several representations to the army
authorities and the defence ministry to hike the family pension
under special category but in vain.
Trikha, who argued Pushpa Vanti's case, is her son. Before
stepping into the legal profession, he was a pilot in the Indian
Air Force (IAF).
According to Trikha, his mother made him join IAF because she was
disenchanted with the army because of the humiliation she was
subjected to after the death of her husband.
Trikha's larger family has contributed five officers to the Indian
Army.
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