Release pensionary benefits to widow of soldier who died combating natural calamity: AFT to govt

The Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has directed the government to release enhanced pensionary benefits to the widow of a soldier who lost his life while combating a natural calamity.The AFT bench here brought closure to the case of the widow of a soldier who lost his life while extinguishing a forest fire on the Sino-India in the northeast.

In its order last week, the AFT directed the government to release Liberalised Family Pension to Champa Thakur, widow of late Naik Surinder Kumar, as against the Special Family Pension that she was granted.

Naik Surinder Kumar of the Punjab Regiment was deployed near the Sino-India border in the northeast. He died in the incident over 10 years ago when a tree fell on him when he was called to assist authorities in dousing a major forest fire.

The Army had declared the death a "battle casualty" as per applicable provisions, and the office of the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions) at Allahabad had rejected her papers stating that the death fell in the category of rules, which dealt with organised sports and recreation.

The AFT bench comprising Justice Mohammad Tahir and Vice Admiral HCS Bisht, while setting aside the rejection order of the accounts branch, held that the death fell in the category of the rules, which dealt with deaths arising out of duty during natural calamities and entitled a widow to Liberalised Family Pension.

This is equivalent to the last drawn emoluments of the deceased and is applicable incase where the death occurs during operations or other specified field circumstances, the bench said.

Special Family Pension is 60 per cent of the last drawn pay.