NGO offers to give Rs5,000 pension to army major’s widow

The Union government may be too poor to pay more than Rs80 a month as pension to a 90-year old widow of an army officer, but Bangalore-based NGO Flags of Honour Foundation isn’t.

The NGO is so moved by the DNA report about how Pushpa Vanthi had been petitioning the defence ministry for Rs27,000 as pension she is entitled to, that it has decided to send her some money every month.

The NGO’s founder, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, said that an official visited the widow at her Meerut house on Tuesday and gave her a cheque for Rs10,000. The NGO has also promised to pay her a monthly pension of Rs5000.

The government’s apathetic attitude has compelled Vanthi to move the Supreme Court. The court expressed its disappointment at the government apathy and asked it to explain why the widow was only getting Rs80 when she is entitled to Rs27,000. The government is expected to file its reply soon. Informed sources said the ministry would contest the widow’s claim that her husband, Major Dharam Chand, died in action. The ministry is expected to say that died of an illness 13 years ago.

But Pushpa Vanthi says her husband joined the army as a junior officer in the infantry in 1937. He fought three battles for the country and won 14 awards for his valour.

Chandrasekhar, the principal donor of Flags of Honour Foundation said, “It is extremely unfortunate that widows, war veterans and ex-servicemen are treated in such a disrespectful manner by the government and the bureaucracy.”