New Delhi: As many as 1.70 lakh freedom
fighters and their dependents have been sanctioned pension and
efforts are on to provide the benefit to all genuine cases,
the Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
"We want to make sure that no right person is excluded.
Since the inception of the Freedom Fighters Pension Scheme in
1972 till January 31, 2010, pension has been sanctioned to
1,70,693 freedom fighters and their eligible dependents," Home
Minister P Chidambaram said during Question Hour.
Besides pension, other benefits include free railway pass,
free medical facilities, telephone connection without
installation charge, general pool residential accommodation
and free air travel to visit Andaman and Nicobar islands once
a year along with a companion.
To a supplementary on benefits to Hyderabad Liberation
Movement participants, Chidambaram said 20,500 persons have
been covered on the basis of the recommendations of Shroff and
Rajeshwar Rao committees.
Besides, the Boinapalli Committee, constituted in May
2009, has recommended 1,790 cases till February 2010 of which
924 have been accepted.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 14:44