27 years on, victim's kin get pension

Chandigarh, June 13

On the intervention of the Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission, justice has been delivered to the family of a Canal Department employee who disappeared 31 years ago. Decks have been cleared for release of family pension to the next of kin with retrospective effect, i.e. from February 1995.

Commission member Gian Chand said Modan Singh of Toosa village of Ludhiana had complained to the commission on December 7, 2018, that his son Saudagar Singh, who worked as beldar in the department, had disappeared during service. During correspondence with the department since 1992 regarding funds and family pension, the family got some amount, but family pension the “DCRG amount” were not given. The family then approached the commission.

The commission wrote to the XEN Ropar (Headworks) and sought information. In reply, the office said the complainant got a meagre amount and that too without family pension. Chand said the commission sent 10 letters to the AG’s office but no reply was received. It then ordered the AG, Punjab, to appear in person.

On February 25, assistant accounts officer Pradeep Kumar and adviser Sunil Kumar Gupta appeared before the commission with the record. The commission discussed the case with the officers, following which AG’s office promised to resolve the matter in two-four days .