HC notice to Punjab govt over army veteran widow’s plea

THE 80-YEAR-OLD PETITIONER’S HUSBAND HAD SUFFERED PERMANENT DISABILITY IN THE 1971 INDO-PAK WAR AND DIED IN 2002

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday issued notice to Punjab government and director, Defence Services Welfare Department, for March 1, 2021, on the petition of a army soldier’s widow who had sought ₹50-lakh compensation.

The 80-year-old petitioner’s husband had suffered permanent disability in the 1971 IndoPak war and died in 2002.

Late Naib Subedar Mukand Singh of Fatehgarh Panj Grain (Malerkotla tehsil was a gunner in the Indian Army. He got permanently disabled after a mine blast in the 1971 Indo Pak war. During his lifetime, he submitted representations to Punjab government for allotment of 10 acres of land under the Punjab Package Deal Properties ( Disposal) Rules, 1976. Matter lingered on for years till he died in 2002. His widow Swaran Kaur kept pursuing the matter but to no avail.

Due to non-availability of land, the state government issued a notification on October 19, 2016, providing for grant of ₹50 lakh in three instalments in lieu of land. During 2017 and 2018, the Defence Services Welfare Department released such grant to at least seven permanently disabled soldiers of 1962 (Indo-China War) and those of 1965/1971 (Indo-Pak wars), but Swaran Kaur was left out, it was submitted.

She was verbally conveyed that since her husband had died, she can’t claim the grant.