Call to fix gap in states’ cash grants to soldiers
NEW DELHI: A yawning mismatch in the cash grants given by different state governments and union territories to soldiers awarded gallantry and distinguished service medals by the defence services has led to calls from certain quarters in the armed forces for a uniform policy to honour the sacrifice, bravery and service of India’s soldiers.
Latest official data accessed by Hindustan Times points to huge variations in the cash rewards given to soldiers for similar acts of valour, and outstanding service --the monetary compensation for the country’s highest gallantry award ranges from a high of ₹2.25 crore to a measly ₹20,000.
Several senior army officers HT spoke to felt the Centre should reach out to the states for reworking their cash grants policy and standardising it for the sake of fairness and equality.
“A soldier does not fight for his state. He fights for the country. The sharp variation in monetary awards given by states to soldiers is something that needs to be addressed,” said a senior officer, asking not to be named.
Figures lay bare the inconsistency in the cash grants policy formulated by different states.
If a soldier from Telangana, Punjab, Karnataka or Haryana is awarded Ashoka Chakra — the country’s highest peace-time gallantry award -- he is eligible for a cash grant of ₹2.25 crore, ₹2 crore, 1.5 crore and ₹1 crore, respectively. However, if the same soldier was from Manipur or Gujarat, all he will get is ₹20,000.
A minimum threshold for gallantry awards is needed, said a second senior officer, who also asked not to be named.
Chandigarh and Uttarakhand offer ₹30 lakh for Ashoka Chakra (the peacetime equivalent of the Param Vir Chakra), while Tamil Nadu and West Bengal give a cash grant of ₹20 lakh and ₹8 lakh, respectively. The variation is proportionate when it comes to other gallantry awards announced by the government every year.
Each state should take equal pride in their soldiers and acknowledge their services to the nation, said military affairs expert Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia (retd).
“The Centre should lay down guidelines to ensure equity when it comes to states honouring the gallantry and distinguished services of soldiers. It’s high time that the cash grants policy of different states is standardised,” added Bhatia.
Take the case of soldiers who are awarded Kirti Chakra, India’s second-highest peace-time gallantry award.
Depending on the states they belong to, the cash grants given to them can vary from ₹1.25 crore to a few thousand, figures show. Similarly, those who are awarded Shaurya Chakra – India’s thirdhighest peacetime gallantry award – get anything between ₹5,000 and ₹75 lakh.
The matter has been taken up by parliamentary panels but it remains unresolved. To be sure, the benefits offered by the Central government to gallantry awardees are standard.
The benefits the government gives to gallantry awardees include a month allowance, taxfree pension, discounted air tickets and railway concessions. A Kirti Chakra awardee, for instance, gets a monthly allowance of ₹9,000.
The cash grants given to senior military officers for distinguished service by different states also vary significantly. If a general from Haryana, Maharashtra or Chandigarh is awarded Param Vishisht Seva Medal, he is eligible for a cash grant of ₹6.5 lakh, ₹4 lakh and ₹3 lakh, respectively. But a general from Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal would get only ₹15,000. Karnataka, Delhi and Tamil Nadu offer ₹1.7 lakh, ₹1.15 lakh and ₹5,000 to PVSM awardees. Data shows that there is a huge variation in cash grants for other types of awards for distinguished service too.
COMPENSATION FOR HIGHEST GALLANTRY AWARD RANGES FROM A HIGH OF ₹2.25 CRORE TO A MEASLY ₹20,000