PANJIM: The State government on Friday doubled the financial assistance to freedom fighters for various purposes but the latter appeared emotional at the dwindling flock. Only 20-22 freedom fighters are living in the State.
The benefits will be extended with retrospective effect from December 19, 2022.
As per the amendment to the Goa Freedom Fighters Welfare scheme, the monthly State pension has been hiked from Rs 3,500 to Rs 9,000 along with the dearness allowance as applicable under the Central Seventh Pay Commission.
The Home department in a notification issued has said that the henceforth the freedom fighters or their spouse would be paid Rs 3,000 towards fixed monthly medical allowance as against the earlier benefit of Rs 1,000.
Ad-hoc grant for meeting funeral rites expenses of the freedom fighter or spouse has been increased from Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000.
Similarly, the family or freedom fighter will get benefit of Rs 50,000 for undertaking any repair of their house once in every 10 years. Earlier, government use to grant Rs 25,000.
Reacting to the revised benefits, All Goa Freedom Fighters Association general secretary Gurudas Kunde said, “It is not a favour done to freedom fighters by the government and It will comment in detail after I receive the copy of the amended scheme. Today number of living freedom fighters is coming down every year. Four of our colleagues passed away last year and there are hardly 20-22 of us living. Even for general body meeting, 10-12 of us attend,” he said.
Kunde said that in 2013 the government reduced their monthly pension from Rs 6000 to Rs 3000 with dearness allowance. It also stopped medical reimbursement bills and instead gave monthly medical allowance of Rs 1,000, he said adding that it was not correct as freedom fighters required more money on medicines.
He said that he raised the matter during one of the Freedom Fighters Welfare Committee meetings and explained to the government authorities how they had made mistakes by calculating wrongly. The government later rectified some of the follies committed by them.
Referring to family or freedom fighter would be entitled to Rs 50,000 for undertaking any repair of their house once in every 10 years as against existing Rs 25,000, Kunde clarified, “If the freedom fighter is no more than his family is not entitled for this benefit. Similarly only widow and unmarried daughter/s of freedom fighters are entitled for monthly pension.
