89-year-old Janakiamma from Pathanamthitta had written a letter on January 17 to the Defence Accounts Department that she was getting ordinary defence family pension though she was entitled to liberalised pension as her bachelor son had been killed in action. The pension sanctioning authority had confirmed her entitlement and the arrears payable to her from 1996 onwards totalled Rs. 16,88,144.
At the two-day 130th Defence Pension Adalat that began here on Wednesday, the victim’s brother received the citation of the settlement of her grievance. For, she died last month. Janakiamma’s was one of the 651 cases of grievances the department had received for settlement at the adalat here.
Total 222 cases were settled, disbursing a total amount of Rs.85,88,284. As many as 15 of the beneficiaries received amounts exceeding Rs.1 lakh, the adalat officials said.
Other family pension revision beneficiaries and their arrears paid at the adalat were T.P. Savithri (Rs.1,41,891), Sundarammal (Rs.7,43,935) and Omana Amma (Rs.2.50 lakh), among others. The beneficiaries or their relatives received the settlement citations and cheques at the function.
96-year-old Lt. Col. (Retd.) R. Subramanyan from Kancheepuram district in Tamil Nadu was another beneficiary as his monthly pension nearly doubled.
The total arrears payable to him came around Rs.30-Rs.35 lakh, the highest ever arrears amount paid till date, said the officials.
