CHANDIGARH, Sept 5: The Punjab government has agreed to grant freedom fighter status to all gallantry award winners in the state. The decision was taken during the meeting of the Punjab Rajya Sainik Board, held last month.The meeting, chaired by the Governor Lt Gen B.K.N. Chibber (Retd), approved to "extend all benefits being granted to freedom fighters by the state government to gallantry awardees as well." Gallantry award winners as well as several ex-servicemen's associations had been demanding that they be given freedom fighter status in recognition to the sacrifices made by them for quite some time.Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, senior state government functionaries, Sainik Welfare Departmental officers and special invitees were also present at the meeting.Following the decision, the final notification of which is awaited, gallantry awardees will be entitled to additional financial benefits, reservations for their descendants in education, employment and allotment of plots, as well as certain other privileges.Freedom fighters in Punjab, besides other benefits from the central and state government, are presently drawing a monthly pension of Rs 1,500 per month from the state government. The allowances of gallantry awardees are Rs 300, Rs 275 and Rs 200 for Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra and Vir Chakra, respectively. Gallantry awardees would now be eligible for a uniform allowance of Rs 1,500 per month.Provision of reservations for children as well as grandchildren of freedom fighters also exist. While it is 2 per cent for direct recruitment to Class I and II jobs, it is 10 per cent in Class III and IV jobs, in addition to a 2 per cent quota in allotment of residential plots.Other benefits hitherto applicable to freedom fighters only include a marriage grant of Rs 10,000 and free bus travel and their funeral being attended by the deputy commissioner.While the financial benefits are likely to come through soon, sources say other benefits like reservation could take some time.In fact, a comparative study of benefits extended by Punjab to freedom fighters and gallantry awardees had been forwarded to the state government by the War Decorated of India (WDI), a national-level association of gallantry award winners, in pursuance of the case.The WDI had, in several communiques to the Punjab Government, argued that while freedom fighters are being rewarded for the role played by them in obtaining independence, the sacrifices of armed forces personnel, many of them who have acted beyond the call of duty, have been largely ignored.The study pointed out that while there are 6,876 freedom fighters in Punjab, there are only 240 gallantry awardees (excluding those from the recent Kargil operations) in the state, including four PVC, 38 MVC and 198 VC. The Punjab Government, as per the study, is spending about Rs 1.3 crore per month on pensions to freedom fighters, whereas the allowances of gallantry awardees amount to just Rs 52,000.The study pointed out that if monetary benefits equivalent to that of freedom fighters are given to gallantry awardees, it would incur an additional expenditure of only Rs 3.7 lakh.
