SWATANTRATA SAINIK SAMMAN YOJANA

Aug. 26, 2019

The Supreme Court has slammed the Centre for harassing Dev Narayan Mishra, a 90-year-old freedom fighter by filing repeated appeals in higher courts to deny him a freedom fighter’s pension under the Swatantrata Sainik Samman Yojana (SSSY).

Timeline:

  • Government of India introduced the 'Ex-Andaman Political Prisoners Pension Scheme' in 1969 to honour the freedom fighters who had been incarcerated in the Cellular Jail at Port Blair.

  • In 1972, to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of Independence, a regular scheme for grant of freedom fighters' pension was introduced.

  • Since 1980, a liberalized scheme, namely the 'Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension Scheme, 1980' is being implemented.

  • From the financial year 2017-18 onwards, the nomenclature of the Scheme has been changed as 'Swatantrata Sainik Samman Yojana'.

Overview:

  • The scheme provides for a monthly Samman Pension to freedom fighters, as a token of respect for their contribution in the national freedom struggle.

  • On their demise, pension is provided to their eligible dependents viz. spouses and thereafter, unmarried and unemployed daughters and dependent parents, as per prescribed eligibility norms and procedure.

  • As of March 2019, a total 1.7 lakh freedom fighters and their eligible dependents have been sanctioned the central samman pension so far.

  • It is implemented by Ministry of Home Affairs (Freedom Fighters Division).

Source : The Hindu