Defence Personnel Entitled to Disability Benefit

As the custodian of the nations our defence forces personnel should be treated with utmost care and given their dues without any one raking an issue in the media. The recent hulla bullo relates to a young soldier getting disabled during Taj hostage crisis orchestrated along with Kasab who has been handed death sentence and executed. Have a look at the reply given by by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri PC Gaddigoudarin Lok Sabha today.

Armed Forces personnel who are retained in service despite the disability held attributable to or aggravated by military service are entitled to lumpsum compensation of disability / war injury element at the time of disability. Those who do not opt for the retention are entitled to disability pension / war injury pension on retirement / discharge. No disability pension / war injury pension is admissible on retirement / discharge once the lumpsum compensation has been obtained by the personnel.

The primary factor for awarding disability benefit to disabled personnel is the establishment of a causal connection between disablement and military service by the Competent Authority. Accidents during the journey from duty station to leave station and vice-versa are also generally considered attributable to military service.

We only request the authorities to make sure that the entitled person gets their due as any washing of dirty linen tarnishes the image of Image of India Army as it is the only sole hope of an Indian citizen on whom they can fall back during the times of crisis.