After 55 years, WW-II veteran gets pension-Tribune News:Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

After 55 years, WW-II veteran gets pension.
Vijay Mohan-Tribune News Service
Chandigarh- February 4.After struggling for 28 years,
a veteran of World War-II has been finally awarded
pension for the service he rendered over 55 years ago.
Had it not been for miscalculation by the Army authorities,
he might have got his pension years ago.
Allowing a petition filed by Harbans Singh, a resident of
Kharar, the Chandigarh Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal
also directed that he should be paid three-year arrears,
commencing from the date of filing of petition till now.
Harbans Singh had served with the Rashtriya Indian ASC
from September 1940 to March 1946. He again enrolled
onto the Army in August 1951 and was discharged in March
1955.
In 1982, the Central Government introduced a new policy
under which break in service was to be condoned and the
period was to be counted towards the qualifying period
for fixing pension.
Soon after, he received a letter from ASC Records stating
that he was eligible for pension and should apply for the
same. He took up the matter with the authorities
concerned, but in 1993, received a communiqué from
the Directorate General Supplies and Transport that his
service amounted to 14 years and two months.
The minimum qualifying period for pension is 15 years,
but a shortfall of six months can be condoned under law.
As per the letter, his service was short of over four months
even after condoning the grace period.
Later perusal of records showed that the date of his service
period was wrongly mentioned. His actual service period
was over 14 years and six months, which made him eligible
for pension.
As the matter lingered, he filed a writ petition before the
Punjab and Haryana High Court in 1998. The matter was
admitted and was later transferred to the tribunal for
further consideration.
Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.
Mob.098554-09128,Tele-Fax 0175-5000896.