Apex court anguished over Rs.80 pension to major’s widow

NEW DELHI - The Supreme Court Friday voiced dismay over a paltry Rs.80 pension being paid to the octogenarian widow of an Indian Army Major who fought in the 1962 and 1965 wars.

“Now-a-days you can’t even buy a one kilo of pulses for Rs. 80,” observed the bench of Justice Markandey Katju and Justice T.S. Thakur while issuing notice to the central government and the army chief.

Even before the widow’s counsel B.B. Trikha could present his case, Justice Katju expressed his exasperation saying: “What all is happening?”

Petitioner Pushpa Vanti is the widow of Major Dharam Chand, who joined the British India Army in 1937 and was promoted as a Junior Commissioned Officer in 1946. He was granted permanent commission in 1948.

The court was told that Major Dharam Chand fought in World War II and in the 1962 and 1965 wars against China and Pakistan. He died March 1, 1967, after which Pushpa Vanti was granted family pension of Rs.80.

Pushpa Vanti pleaded that while the family of Sepoys get more than Rs.150 as family pension, she, a widow of a major with 30 years of service, got a meagre Rs.80.

She described her situation as humiliating. She told the court that earlier army authorities used to acknowledge her communications. But after 1975 even acknowledgment of her representation stopped.

The petitioner made several representations to the army authorities and the defence ministry to hike the family pension under special category but in vain.

Trikha, who argued Pushpa Vanti’s case, is her son. Before stepping into the legal profession, he was a pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF).

According to Trikha, his mother made him join IAF because she was disenchanted with the army because of the humiliation she was subjected to after the death of her husband.

Trikha’s larger family has contributed five officers to the Indian Army.