Manohar Parrikar agrees to suggestion on expediting pension to next kin of martyrs

NEW DELHI: In a major step that brings relief to widows and or next kin of martyred soldier, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has agreed to a suggestion by Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar that the provisions of 'Pending Enquiry Award' (PEA) under the defence services pension regulations be authorised with immediate effect in all cases until the pension is disbursed.

The PEA is a payment given to personnel below officer rank and their dependents in case of death or disability before the pensions start. It involves an undertaking that any amount that the receiver is not entitled to will be refunded once the pension amount is settled.

In his letter to the Defence Minister on March 1, 2016, MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar had said “The salary of the soldier stops from the day of his death and along with the delay in pension, the widow and next of kin are left to struggle to make ends meet. This period of gap leaves the family very vulnerable even as they deal with their irreparable loss.”

Parrikar gave a nod to Chandrasekhar’s suggestion that for all cases that suffer delay due to completion of formalities, the provision of Pending Enquiry Award (PEA) be authorised with immediate effect in all cases until the pension is disbursed. He, in his reply, said: "I agree with your suggestion that Pending Enquiry Award be authorised with immediate effect in such cases and procedures completed expeditiously."

Further elaborating, Parrikar wrote “As per regulation 17 and 23 to 29 Section 2 of Pension Regulations for the Army, Part 2 (2008) Pending Enquiry Award can be granted by the record office at a monthly rate equal to the appropriate and applicable amount of the Ordinary Family Pension / Special Family pension or Liberalized Family pension, as they may be, together with dearnes relief. The Pending Enquiry Award (PEA) is made with the effect from the date of death by the record office in all the cases of JCOs/ ORs. It is sanctioned immediately subsequent to death / martyrdom of the solider in favour of NOK Initially upto a period of 6months which can be further extended, if required.”