War heroes seek additional facilities

War heroes seek additional facilities 
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 9
Members of the War Decorated India (WDI), an association of Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra and Vir Chakra recipients, today sought restoration of the special pension that was announced for these awardees in 1950.

Speaking at their triennial convention-cum-reunion here today, WDI president Brig NS Sandhu said in the revised notification issued in 1972, the term “special pension” was arbitrarily substituted by “allowance”, thereby cutting off the dearness allowance element associated with pension.

While seeking enhancement of monetary benefits to the war decorated from 1948 onwards, the WDI has also sought that recipients of Mention-in-Dispatches, a gallantry award, also be given appropriate benefits.

Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, Chief of the Army Staff Gen Bikram Singh and the GOC-in-C, Western Command, Lt Gen Sanjiv Chachra, were among those who attended the convention.

Two Param Vir Chakra winners -- honorary Capt Bana Singh (Siachen operations, 1986) and havildar Sanjay Kumar (Kargil conflict, 1999) -- as well as the parents of Capt Vikram Batra, who was decorated with the Param Vir Chakra posthumously in the Kargil conflict, and daughter of naib subedar Nand Singh, recipient of the Victoria Cross and Maha Vir Chakra (J&K 1948 posthumous), were among those present.

Speaking on the occasion, Bansal said the validity of the complimentary rail travel cards issued to gallantry awardees would be extended to three years. He also agreed to consider other demands raised by them, including the facility of e-ticketing and online booking for the card holders and upgrade to travel first AC and executive class on all trains.

A large number of gallantry awardees from across the country, their family members and war widows attended the meet, which serves as a platform to air their grievances and address issues affecting them. There are 21 Param Vir Chakra recipients of whom only three are surviving, 219 Maha Vir Chakra recipients and 133 Vir Chakra recipients in the country. Many of the awards are posthumous.

The Army Chief also honoured decorated soldiers and their widows.