Chennai: The regional bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal, Chennai, has ruled that a 61-year-old widow was eligible for dual pension. The woman fought for a paltry sum as family pension from the Indian Army. Judicial member, Justice V. Periya Karuppiah, and Lt Gen (retired) Anand Mohan Verma, directed the Army to release the family pension with retrospective effect from 2008.
S. Rajamani, had joined the Army as havildar in 1963. He was discharged from service in 1983. He was getting family pension. Later, he was recruited as clerk by Canara Bank, Madurai. Rajamani died in harness in 1997.
After his death, family pension from the Army was denied to his wife Vasantha, as she was receiving pension from Canara Bank. Counsel for applicant S. Mahesh moved the regional bench of Armed Forces Tribunal pleading that as per amended employees pension scheme, 1995 and family pension scheme 1971, Vasantha was eligible to for dual pension.
B. Shanthakumar, senior counsel for the respondents, Bengaluru, contended that based on his request, Rajamani was discharged from the Army. The provision mentioned by the petitioner was applicable only to those released out from defence force with effect from 2012. After hearing both sides, the tribunal ruled that Vasantha was eligible for dual pension.