Pension to mother of ‘presumed to be dead’ Rifleman Rinku Ram

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : The Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions), Allahabad, on April 5, 2018, issued the Pension Payment Order in favour of Kamla Devi, mother of the late Rifleman Rinku Ram, on receipt of the death certificate.

It was reported in the media recently that Rifleman Rinku Ram of JAK Rifles had in November, 2009, fallen into a raging river while patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) along China border in Arunachal Pradesh and his body was never found. It was reported that the mother of the deceased soldier had approached the Armed Forces Tribunal to get her son’s pension as she had been told that pension would be released only after the body was found.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman immediately got the case examined. Kamla Devi, mother of late Riflemen Rinku Ram, JAK Rifles. could not be granted Ordinary Family Pension as the family income of the claimant exceeded the prescribed income criteria for admissibility of Ordinary Family Pension.

However, under the provisions of the Indian Evidence Act, a person missing for more than 7 years may be presumed dead. Hence in the case of late Rifleman Rinku Ram the death certificate was by the Government of Arunachal Pradesh on April 4, 2018.

As per the PPO, Special Family Pension @ Rs 7,000 per month with effect from November 19, 2009, to December 31, 2015, and thereafter @ Rs 17,990 per month has been granted as per admissibility. In addition, gross Death-Cum-Retirement Gratuity (DCRG) of Rs 86,106 (minus ECHS of Rs 15,000), Ex-gratia lump sum of Rs 10 lakh have also been sanctioned, according to a PIB release.