Telangana sets up Army Welfare Fund

​Hyderabad: The Telangana government has set up an Army Welfare Fund with Rs 80-crore, first in the country, for the welfare of the Army personnel, says Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

Making a statement in the Assembly, KCR on Tuesday said the funds would be spent on the welfare of the Army personnel and their families.

Under this programme, Army personnel in the service, families of those who become martyrs, those who become medically unfit and handicapped and retired Army personnel will get benefitted.

The Chief Minister and ministers will contribute Rs 25,000 per year, while MLAs, MLCs and MPs will contribute Rs 10,000 every year towards the fund. The state government employees have decided to forgo one-day wages.

Explaining the reasons behind taking such a decision, the Chief Minister said the Army personnel are discharging their duties of protecting the nation’s geographical integrity and sovereignty.

Even in the high-altitude places, where there is no oxygen, where there are temperatures that would freeze the blood or the places where the heat was just enough to burn the bodies, the Jawans despite all odds beating the weather conditions and are discharging their sacred duties.

The Centre, KCR said is giving pensions to the retired Army personnel and they are eligible for double pension if they taken up any state government job after the retirement.

The same facility is not extended to the widows of the Army personnel. The Army widows are eligible for one pension only either from the Centre or the state government. But in Telangana double pension scheme has been extended to the retired Army personnel and their widows.

The Centre and state governments are giving cash rewards to the personnel, who have received the Gallantry awards such as Param Vir Chakra, Mahavir Chakra, Veer Chakra, Ashok Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Sourya Chakra, Sena Medal, etc.

The Telangana government has decided to give a substantial cash award to the gallantry awardees much more than that is being offered in other states. The Punjab government is giving Rs 2 crore as cash award to those received Param Vir Chakra and Ashok Chakra.

The united AP government has announced Rs 10 Lakh each for the same award. Now, we have decided to pay Rs 2.25 crore to the Telangana Army personnel who get these awards.

For Mahavir Chakra and Kirti Chakra awardees, the Punjab government is giving Rs 1 crore, the highest in the country. The united AP used to give Rs 8 Lakh.

The Telangana government will now give Rs 1.25 crore each to the Army personnel from the state who get these awards.

For the Vir Chakra and Sourya Chakra awards, the Punjab government is paying Rs 50 lakh, again the highest in the country. The united AP used to give Rs 6 lakh. Now, the Telangana government has decided to give Rs 75 Lakh for these awardees.

For Sena Medal awardees, the Haryana government is giving the highest amount of Rs 21 Lakh and in the united AP, the amount was Rs 23,250 only.

The Telangana government will pay Rs 30 lakh. Similarly, for mention in dispatches awardees, Punjab and Haryana governments are giving Rs 10 Lakh each while in the united AP it was Rs 12,000.

The state government has decided to give Rs 25 lakh. For the Ati Visishta Seva medal, the cash award in Kerala is Rs 20 Lakh and in the united AP it was Rs 27,000.

The TS government has decided to give Rs 25 lakh. For Visishta Seva Medal, the cash award in Kerala is Rs 16 Lakh and in the united AP it was Rs 75,000.

It will be now Rs 20 lakh in TS. For Seva medal Kerala is giving Rs 2 Lakh, and the united AP it was Rs 34,000. TS will give Rs 5 lakh now, the Chief Minister said.