Just browsing through the paper I got this article, which I felt to share with everyone, so please put your feedback on this issue.
Story Of a Vir Chakra Awardee
A Rs 25 monthly allowance might be a forgettable amount for anyone in the country, but not for Vir Chakra awardee and Indian Navy’s retired chief petty officer Mr LK Chakrabarty (67).
For every time he receives Rs 25 from the state government in his home state of West Bengal in respect of his “meritorious service rendered for the defence of the nation” during 1971 Indo-Pak war ~ when as the leader of the “killer squadron” he sunk two enemy ships and an oil installation ~ Mr Chakrabarty feels “humiliated”.
Even more, till 2007 this allowance was just Rs 12.50 paise per month whereas the amount is up to Rs 10,000 per month in other states. “With a Rs 25 allowance these days one can’t get more than six cups of tea. One feels ashamed even to pursue the matter in the case,” Mr Chakrabarty said.
Being a warrior, he is not prepared to give up easily and is fighting a “lone battle” for the last nine years against what he calls a “shameless act” of the West Bengal government.
But he has not achieved any success yet as the state government maintains the proposal for increase in monetary benefit for gallantry award winners is under consideration. It has been the case since 2007.
Mr Chakrabarty has been pursuing the matter with the state government since 2000 and has already sent numerous reminders in the matter. “I have written many times to the chief minister and the home (defence) department to increase this meagre allowance. But none of the letters have received a suitable response. One official even told me it was a ‘fixed’ allowance that cannot be reviewed!” he said. “My contemporaries get shocked when they get to know that gallantry award winners in West Bengal get Rs 25 as allowance per month. In view of the allowance being provided in other states, I have requested the state government to provide at least Rs 3,000 a month. But even this seems to be too much to ask for,” Mr Chakrabarty said. As the chief petty officer, Mr Chakrabarty was in-charge of the engineering department of the only missile ship, which fired three missiles at Pakistani establishments during the Indo-Pak war.
West Bengal has only 46 such awardees. Some of those awarded Vir Chakra for gallantry during action of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka in 1987-90, were given a one-time Rs 7,500. ;
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=1&theme=&usrsess=1&id=261915
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6 comments:
The CPM Govt should be kicked on their ass and should be thrown out of West Bengal and India.
This is very much shameful for us that those people fighting for the defence of our country is being ignored by the government.
This is very much shameful for us that those people fighting for the defence of our country is being ignored by the government.
This is an utter shame to a society where a gallantry defence personnel gets only Rs 25 as a monthly allowance. But we, the countrymen are not as shameless as these statesmen. I don't mind, and I am sure there would be countless people like me wont mind, to contribute 25 rs/month to keep the spirit of these great men ,warriors alive. I am thinking of creating a NGO Fund, where country men like us can contribute something of their wish per month,which would go to these warriors and their family welfare directly.
Even I was thinking on the same line
We should first try to contact this person to see how his life is going, and then may come out with something that he actually needs.
boss, hammer or hand, they are all the same. I can write an endless article over the anguish of the government, but will not like to miss the actual situation in that context.
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