Telangana Government Announces Incentives for Ex-servicemen

Hyderabad: The Telangana state managing committee of the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund, chaired by Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, approved financial assistance schemes for ex-servicemen and their family members. The meeting, held on Saturday at Raj Bhavan, focused on providing immediate relief and long-term support to the ex-servicemen and their families.

The key decisions included providing Rs.3 lakh to parents of unmarried soldiers, Rs.2.5 lakh to parents of married soldiers and Rs.3 lakh to the spouses of married soldiers who died in service. The committee has increased the monthly allowances of fully disabled soldiers from Rs.12,000 per month to Rs.15,000 per month.

The committee also increased the financial assistance to special children of ex-servicemen under the age of 15, from Rs.3,000 to Rs.6,000 per month. For special children above 15 years, assistance is increased to Rs.9,000 per month, and for orphaned children from Rs.2,000 per month to Rs.5,000 per month.

Financial assistance of up to Rs.2 lakh for organ transplantation at ECHS-empanelled hospitals if the expense is not fully covered by ECHS.

The hostel fee reimbursement has been increased from Rs.10,000 to Rs.20,000 per annum for the children of ex-servicemen studying in Class 11 and above and staying in college-run hostels. They will also provide cash incentives for medals won by ex-servicemen or their children in sports events organised by state or the central governments, with Rs.1 lakh for the gold medal, Rs.75,000 for silver and Rs.50,000 for bronze medals. The marriage grant for daughters of ex-servicemen, which is now named “Kalyana Kanuka,” has been increased to Rs.50,000.

The committee increased the funeral grant for the deceased ex-servicemen from Rs.10,000 to Rs.20,000, and approved reimbursement of Rs.40,000 to children of ex-servicemen for the purchase of computers during the first year of a degree course.

Funds worth Rs.40 lakh have been allocated for the renovation of Sainik Bhavans at Karimnagar and Warangal. A helpline, staffed by three ex-servicemen or wives of deceased ex-servicemen, will be established for the sainik welfare department and statewide awareness camps will be conducted on the welfare schemes available for ex-servicemen and their families.

Governor Varma emphasised the need to look after ex-servicemen who gave the best of their youth for the nation and stressed the need for identifying and reaching out to ex-servicemen and their families who are in distress, understand their problems and solve them at the earliest.