ESM pension assistance cells launched
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 14 2016 :
The Red Shield Division fulfilling its resolve and commitment to look after the welfare and wellbeing of veterans and their families has come forward and started several initiatives in the region.
During the Ex-Servicemen rallies held in the recent past, it was realized that large number of Ex-Servicemen were not aware of their pension entitlements and as a result were drawing incorrect pensions.
According to a statement issued by the PIB, Defence, Imphal, a pilot project to resolve pension anomalies of the Ex-Servicemen of the region has been started by the Red Shield Division.
Under the project, teams of qualified army personnel, are now being sent to various districts and are meeting Ex-Servicemen.
All checks and calculations are done on the spot and detected anomalies are raised with the concerned banks or with respective army record offices.
As on date the Red Shield Division Pension Assistance Teams have contacted approximately 1300 ESM and raised pension anomalies to the tune of 1.79 crore with various agencies.
Large numbers of ESM have already got their dues credited into their bank accounts.
During the process, the army has been able to assist many veer naris (widow of martyrs) also, it said.
Various Ex-Servicemen associations in the state have also come forward and assisted the army teams in extending its reach to the veterans.
Cases as old as ten years has now been detected are being processed.
With the implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP), the need to verify the pensions being received by the Ex-Servicemen and their families has become all the more important.
Encouraged with the success of the pilot project, all Army units in the region have now created an ESM pension assistance team.
A central database has been created at the Leimakhong based Red Shield Signal Regiment to centrally monitor the progress of these cases, the statement added.