Enhancement of Pension for Freedom Fighters under the SwatantrataSainikSamman Pension Scheme

The existing pension scheme for Central freedom fighter pensioners and their eligible dependents has been restructured as per the table below: Sl. No. Category of freedom fighters Present amount of pension (per month) Enhanced amount of pension(per month) 1. Ex-Andaman Political Prisoners/ spouses Rs. 24,775 Rs.30,0002. Freedom fighters who suffered outside British India/spouses Rs. 23,085 Rs. 28,0003. Other Freedom Fighters/ spouses including INA Rs. 21,395 Rs. 26,0004. Dependent parents/ eligible daughters (maximum 3 daughters at any point of time) Rs. 3,380 (dependent parents)

Rs. 5,070 (daughters)

50% of the sum that would have been admissible to the Freedom Fighter i.e. in the range of Rs. 13,000 toRs. 15,000

The revised scale shall take effect from 15 August 2016.

The existing Dearness Relief system based on All India Consumer Price Index for Industrial workers, which was hitherto applied to freedom fighter pensioners on annual basis, is being discontinued and replaced by the Dearness Allowance system applicable to Central Government employees twice a year.

All freedom fighters and spouses and dependent parents/eligible daughter pensioners of deceased freedom fighters drawing pension under the SwatantrataSainikSamman Pension Scheme, 1980 would be benefitted by the decision. So far, total 1,71,605 freedom fighters and their eligible dependents have been sanctioned pension under the scheme. At present 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.

In 1969, Government of India introduced the 'Ex-Andaman Political Prisoners Pension Scheme' to honour the freedom fighters who had been incarcerated in the Cellular Jail at Port Blair. In 1972, to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of our Independence, a regular scheme for grant of freedom fighters' pension was introduced. Thereafter, with effect from 01.08.1980, a liberalized scheme, namely the 'SwatantrataSainikSamman Pension Scheme' is being implemented. Besides the freedom fighters, spouses (widows/widowers), unmarried and unemployed daughters (upto maximum three at any point of time) and parents of deceased freedom fighters are eligible for pension under the scheme.

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