Welfare Measures for Defence Personnel
The problems related to serving personnel are addressed by three Services as per the procedure in vogue. Personnel Service Directorates of all Service Headquarters are actively involved in redressal of the grievances. The Government has taken several steps towards stress amelioration amongst troops, which, inter-alia, include deployment of trained psychological counsellors, improvement in the quality of food and clothing, training in stress management, provision for recreational facilities, buddy system, leave concessions, approachability of seniors, facilities for movement of troops from border areas and establishing a grievance redressal mechanism at various levels. Financial assistance has also been provided to wards of Armed Forces personnel killed in action.
Number of steps have also been taken for redressal of grievances of Ex-Servicemen in the form of Defence pension adalats, Veterans Day, RTI Cells, CPGRAM Cells. Adequate steps have also been taken to increase the funding to Armed Forces Flag Day Fund which is used for the welfare and assistance to Ex-Servicemen. Financial assistance of Rs 133.31 crore to 37,815 beneficiaries was given under various schemes in Financial Year 2020-21. In addition, scholarship has been awarded to 10,268 beneficiaries in Financial Year 2020-21 under Prime Minister Scholarship Schemes (PMSS). The nomenclature of the Army Battle Casualties Welfare Fund (ABCWF) has been changed to Armed Forces Battle Casualties Welfare Fund (AFBCWF) for extending the benefits also to the battle casualties of Air Force and Navy. The additional ex-gratia amount has also been enhanced from the existing Rs 2 lakh to Rs 8 lakh for all Battle Casualties except Battle Casualties with disability less than 60% where the amount has been enhanced from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 4 lakh per casualty.
This information was given by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Ajay Bhatt in a written reply to Shri Sushil Kumar Gupta in Rajya Sabha today.
Source: PIB
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