The President Of India Intervenes In NRI Widow Pension Case.
I helped Mrs Pritam Kaur Basi, widow of late Major Paramjit Singh Basi, who put his life on the line in World War II along with me, in her fight for widow pension from the Indian Pension Authorities. I personally conducted sustained and vigorous correspondence with various Indian Pension Authorities on her behalf to enable the aged blind, sickly-looking lady get her pension. Regretfully, the case was not moving for years. Hence, I wrote personal letters to many retired and serving Officers friends, requesting to help the lady. Despite my best efforts, it took the lady 14 long years to get her pension in her bank account in India.
I, having got totally disappointed and disgusted with 14 years delay in Mrs Basi’s pension case, could not help writing about it to the President of India and Supreme Commander of Indian Armed forces, giving comprehensive details of the case and expressing great concern with the manner in which the widow of World War Veteran was neglected by Indian Pension Authorities. I also enclosed with my letter, a copy of my detailed article on the subject published in the Link Newspaper for information. I was delighted to receive an email dated June 26, 2003 from Mrs Padmaja, Under Secretary (NRI-I) to the President of India, Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. Its contents are as follows:-
“Please refer to your letter dated April 30, 2003 addressed to the President of India regarding the Pension case of Mrs Pritam Kaur Basi. To enable us to coordinate with the Controller General of Defence Accounts, will you please send us the relevant details of the Pension case including copies of the correspondence made by Mrs Basi with concerned authorities.”
Responding to the above email, I compiled a comprehensive and detailed case of Mrs Basi’s Pension consisting of 107 sheets, bound them properly in a binder. The binder was forwarded to the President of India, through the Diplomatic Bag of the Consulate General of India, Vancouver on July 16, 2003.
Mrs Basi’s World war II Veteran husband Major Paramjit Singh Basi died in Canada on March 25, 1989. She submitted her application for family pension which was sanctioned vide CDA (P) PPO No M/F/F/89, in seven months. She was directed to report to the Manager of the Bank of India Jalandhar with her Pension Book to receive her first pension.
As bad luck would have it, Mrs Basi’s health took a turn for the worst and she was declared medically Blind, amongst many other complications, and was in no way fit to travel to India. As such, she requested her Banker viz the Bank of India , Jalandhar to credit her pension including arrears to her saving Bank account on extreme compassionate grounds. The Banker refused to budge. All her further pleas were ignored.
Being demoralized and disgusted, Mrs Basi wrote letters giving details of her ill health and an unending delay in her pension to all conceivable related authorities for help in getting her pension. It was only after excessive pressure exerted by the higher-ups on her Banker that he acted. Even then, it took her no less than 14 years to get her pension deposited into her bank account.
Having personally handled the entire pension case of Mrs Basi, I brought the most inordinate delay of 14 years to the notice of the President of India. I requested him that the culprits responsible for the delay in this particular case be awarded maximum penalties, and necessary orders be issued to all authorities so that no widow suffers this type of loss and pain as Mrs Basi did.
Lt Col Pritam Singh Jauhal (Retd) World war II Veteran
Founder President Indian Ex-Servicemen Society British Columbia
Comment: The Bureaucrats responsible for the delay are accountable to no one except God. May God help the bureaucarcy to see light! Contrast this with how British honour the Veterans in India. The Photocopy of news item shown above is the proof.
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