Special family pension for widows back

Chandigarh, October 21
The state government has restored the Special Family Pension for widows of government employees killed by extremists.
It also agreed to extend the Red Card scheme to families of the police personnel killed during the militancy period. The orders will benefit the families of 1,600 martyrs, including SPOs and Home Guards.
Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh made the announcement on the eve of Martyrs Day at the Punjab Police headquarters here today. He offered tributes to police martyrs. He lit the eternal flame, besides interacting with the martyrs’ families.
The Special Pension Scheme was revoked by the erstwhile Akali government in 2016. Capt Amarinder had promised to restore the same if the Congress came to power in the state.
He added that the pension under the scheme would be made available to the widow till her death as against the earlier provision of it being provided until her remarriage.
Capt Amarinder further promised the martyrs’ families that their demand for posting of their children, recruited in the armed police, near their home districts would be sympathetically considered by the government.
The Special Family Pension, for which necessary directions had already been issued to the DGP, will be given to widow or mother of the deceased government employee killed by or during action against extremists, he added.
The pension amount will be equal to the last pay drawn at the time of the death of the personnel, said the Chief Minister.
He praised the Martyrs Memorial built at the entrance of the Punjab Police Headquarters.
DGP Suresh Arora said he got the idea to install the Martyrs’ Flame with the names of the martyrs on the wall during a visit to the NYPD headquarters in New York.
The memorial has a series of commemorative plaques with physical markings of martyr’s names etched on them.