These are not matters where the family or the widow should be expected to go to the court to obtain relief, Supreme Court said NEW DELHI: Official apathy sometimes doesn’t spare even the families of those who lay down their lives for the country. A case in point is the decades-long struggle of the widow of ‘Shaurya Chakra’ awardee Mohan Singh, who had to wait for 26 years to get her rightful Special Family Pension — that too only after the Supreme Court’s intervention.Singh, an overseer with General Reserves Engineering Force, was in charge of construction of a key border road. On July 10, 2000, when a boulder from a hilltop rolled down with debris, he helped move workers from the site but could not get out of its way himself and was killed. The Centre posthumously conferred on him in 2001 the ‘Shaurya Chakra’ — the third-highest peacetime gallantry award.However, his widow received relief under Workmen’s Compensation Act and not the Special Family Pension under the CCS (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, to which she was entitled. It was rejected on the ground that since payment under Workmen’s Compensation Act had been made, no liberalised pensionary award was due to the deceased’s kin, as per CCS (Pension) rules.She moved Punjab and Haryana HC, which held she was entitled to extraordinary pension but restricted payment of arrears from date of the filing of petition, denying relief from the date of death of her husband. When the matter reached the SC, a bench of Justices K V Viswanathan and Arun Palli said the Centre had erred and should have categorised her case under the correct category ‘C’ of CCS Pension Rules and extended the benefit soon after Singh’s demise.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines “These are not matters where the family or the widow should be expected to go to the court to obtain relief,” SC said.AG R Venkataramani said Rs 14.28 lakh had been paid to the widow and pension will be processed as per HC order. Arrears, calculated at Rs 4.12 lakh, had also been released. SC said a consolidated amount of Rs 10 lakh be paid to her for the period between Singh’s death and HC order.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosThreat Letter Targets Kashmiri Pandits In Kashmir, Employees Asked To Stay Alert Amid Security FearChilling Crash Video: Atiq Ahmed’s Son’s Creta Flips After Losing Control On Highway | WatchUdhayanidhi Backs CM Vijay’s Tamil Nadu Delimitation Stand, Demands No Cut In State’s LS SeatsFCRA Bill Sent To 31-Member JPC Amid Opposition Protests, Akhilesh-Rijiju Clash Over MinoritiesRijiju slams opposition over parliament chaos, says ‘running away from debate’Explained: Why Amritpal Singh’s Party Fielded Son of Indira Gandhi’s Assassin In Punjab Elections?Prashant Kishor Promises Jobs For 10,000 Bankipur Youths After Ending BJP’s 30-Year Hold | WatchIndia’s Map Move Rattles China: What Naming 27 Places In Arunachal Means?Air India Phuket-Delhi Pilot’s Confirmatory Dope Test Reportedly Positive For Marijuana, Sources SayTamil Nadu Assembly Passes Anti-NEET Resolution As DMK, AIADMK And PMK Back Abolition Demand123PhotostoriesKyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2: From Smriti Irani to Amar Upadhyay, here’s how much the cast earns per episodeBeyond Payasam: Traditional South Indian sweets that deserve a tryPreity Zinta goes full royalcore in an Rs 42,500 fuchsia farshi salwar set for ‘Batwara 1947’ promotionsTaking multiple supplements every day? Doctors warn these common combinations could do more harm than good10 beautiful baby girl names that symbolise graceOptical illusion personality test: What you see first reveals your hidden personality type10 classic, smokey and flavourful tikkas perfect for evening snacking5 everyday phone habits that may be damaging your relationship without you noticingThe science behind coriander leaves turning black in the refrigerator and 4 easy hacks to keep them fresh for long8 Indian dinners with over 30g protein that don’t require protein powder123Hot PicksInternational Youth DayMHT-CET CAP round seat allotmentSlovenia Indian embassyJharkhand protestN ChandrasekaranNEET PG 2026 city slipIran warSBI Clerk RecruitmentUP scholarshipTop TrendingChennai AirportNagpur Rape CaseAir India Phuket-Delhi FlightMumbai Kurla LandslideBengaluru Missing TechieSpiceJet FlightTelangana AccidentAbhijeet DipkeWeather TomorrowShakeel Noorani
NEW DELHI: Official apathy sometimes doesn’t spare even the families of those who lay down their lives for the country. A case in point is the decades-long struggle of the widow of ‘Shaurya Chakra’ awardee Mohan Singh, who had to wait for 26 years to get her rightful Special Family Pension — that too only after the Supreme Court’s intervention.Singh, an overseer with General Reserves Engineering Force, was in charge of construction of a key border road. On July 10, 2000, when a boulder from a hilltop rolled down with debris, he helped move workers from the site but could not get out of its way himself and was killed. The Centre posthumously conferred on him in 2001 the ‘Shaurya Chakra’ — the third-highest peacetime gallantry award.However, his widow received relief under Workmen’s Compensation Act and not the Special Family Pension under the CCS (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, to which she was entitled. It was rejected on the ground that since payment under Workmen’s Compensation Act had been made, no liberalised pensionary award was due to the deceased’s kin, as per CCS (Pension) rules.She moved Punjab and Haryana HC, which held she was entitled to extraordinary pension but restricted payment of arrears from date of the filing of petition, denying relief from the date of death of her husband. When the matter reached the SC, a bench of Justices K V Viswanathan and Arun Palli said the Centre had erred and should have categorised her case under the correct category ‘C’ of CCS Pension Rules and extended the benefit soon after Singh’s demise.
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“These are not matters where the family or the widow should be expected to go to the court to obtain relief,” SC said.AG R Venkataramani said Rs 14.28 lakh had been paid to the widow and pension will be processed as per HC order. Arrears, calculated at Rs 4.12 lakh, had also been released. SC said a consolidated amount of Rs 10 lakh be paid to her for the period between Singh’s death and HC order.
