Punjab tops in disbursing central funds for ex-servicemen welfare schemes
Vijay Mohan
Chandigarh, April 1
With a sizable chunk of its population having served in the armed forces, Punjab is among the top states in the country on spending funds for the welfare of ex-servicemen under various centrally sponsored schemes.
A total of Rs 1,748.84 lakh was disbursed by the Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB) during the 2020-21 fiscal for welfare of veterans in Punjab, according to information tabled by the Ministry of Defence in the Lok Sabha on Friday. This is a sharp rise from Rs 305.90 lakh in 2018-19 and Rs 995.22 lakh in 2019-20.
Maharashtra tops the list, with the KSB spending Rs 2,321.22 lakh on veterans from that state in 2020-21. Punjab, at number two, is trailed by Kerala, where Rs 1,481.55 lakh was spent during that year, followed by Rajasthan with Rs 1,218.75 lakh.
The northern states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh are known to be among the highest contributors of manpower to the armed forces. Consequently, they also have a large number of ex-servicemen, their dependants and widows.
In contrast, the funds disbursed by KSB on veterans from Haryana and Himachal are meagre. The figure for Haryana and Himachal for 2020-21 fiscal is Rs 335.32 lakh and Rs 330.24 lakh, respectively, the ministry’s data reveals.
An attached office of the Ministry of Defence, KSB is responsible for the welfare of ex-servicemen and their dependents and for the administration of various welfare schemes introduced for them by the central government such as ex-gratia, financial assistance.
While schemes are introduced, reviewed and modified from time to time to meet current requirements, the MoD has decided to do away with a few schemes from April 1, 2022 which have received little or no subscription for the past five years.
To avail the benefits of these welfare schemes, the beneficiaries are required to apply online to the KSB. The applications are scrutinized and verified by the respective Rajya Sainik Boards of the states and after approval, the amount is credited by KSB directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.
There are 34 Rajya Sainik Boards in 28 states and six union territories across the country that function under the administrative control of the respective state government and are responsible for managing the affairs of ex-servicemen in their jurisdiction.
According to available information, there are over 30 lakh ex-servicemen and widows in India, the vast majority of whom have retired from the ranks by the age of 45 years. About 60,000 armed forces personnel superannuate every year and many amongst them require post-retirement re-employment.
