450 freedom fighters in Osmanabad await pension benefits

At least 450 freedom fighters from this district, who fought against the Nizam rule, are yet to get pension and other benefits from the Maharashtra government.

Villagers from Chilwadi, Nandgaon and Devdhanora here, who helped wage a war against the Nizam rule and put up stiff resistance, have been waiting for more than 60 years to get their due on account of benefits and facilities given to them under the freedom fighters quota.

Osmanabad along with the other four districts (Solapur, Ahmednagar, Beed and Latur) of the Marathwada region was formerly a part of the Nizam State. After 1947, when India got independence the reorganisation of the princely states was carried out and the
Marathwada region was included into the then Bombay state but later in 1960, Osmanabad became an integral part of Maharashtra.

On February 22, 2005 the Maharashtra government had taken a decision to grant an aid of Rs two lakh to each of these freedom fighters but later revoked it in 2008.

"We fought against Nizams and now in independent India our fight is still continuing. We also went on a hunger strike in front of the Osmanabad collector office pressing for our
demands but still got nothing," freedom fighter Dashrath Javir said.