Despite initial tepid response, the flow of funds to the Centre’s Army Welfare Fund Battle Casualties (AWFBC) scheme has picked up with over Rs.2 crore in the account.
The poor response to the scheme, launched on August 2, was blamed on the doubts over the genuineness of a WhatsApp message about the AWFBC. Many took the message as spam and ignored it. “The Modi government has started a new scheme exclusively for the Army battle casualties and weapon purchase. The government has opened a bank account where people can donate funds directly to the Army Welfare Account. People had suggested to the government to open a bank account to collect funds exclusively for battle casualties and purchasing weapons for the Army. The Modi government has accepted the suggestion and opened an account in Syndicate Bank, New Delhi, for the same. The most attractive feature of this scheme is that people can donate the smallest amount of one rupee. Our country’s population is 130 crore, even if 100 crore people (70 per cent) deposit one rupee each, the Ministry will get Rs.100 crore a day, Rs.3,000 crore a month, and Rs.36,000 crore a year,” the message reads.
Syndicate Bank Staff Association national vice-president K.S. Bhatt saidthe message was genuine and the bank had started receiving contributions from August 2. Replying to a question by Kirit Somaiya, MP, officer on special duty to the Minister of Defence, Upendra Joshi clarified the welfare fund account was genuine. “Army Welfare Fund Battle Casualties, Account No. 90552010165915, Bank & branch: Syndicate Bank, South Block, New Delhi-11, IFSC Code: SYNB0009055,” Mr. Joshi’s letter stated the account details.“The donations received to the fund will be utilised to pay financial assistance to widows of our battle casualties.”
Mr. Bhatt said the funds in the account crossed Rs. 2.5 crore on Wednesday.
