The Hindu : Front Page : Pension for 10,000 more freedom fighters

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 26, 2007
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Pension for 10,000 more freedom fighters

HYDERABAD: Independence Day will be celebrated in the State with a difference this time to mark the sesqui-centenary of the first Indian War of Independence in 1857.

Ahead of the celebrations, the Government will clear all the 10,000-odd applications of the freedom fighters so that they receive pension by Independence Day. Freedom fighters are presently covered by two pension schemes, one funded by the Centre (monthly Rs 10,000) and another by the State (Rs 1,000).

Now, the Central pension is paid to about 7,000 freedom fighters in the State and State pension to about 1,800.

Fitting manner

At a meeting of the State Level Committee formed with 31 members to work out the details of the sesqui-centennial celebrations here on Monday, Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy cleared a number of proposals to celebrate the event in a fitting manner without any financial restrictions.

Information Minister A. Ramanarayan Reddy told reporters later that the State Government had cleared only 3,000 out of the 13,000 applications for freedom fighters pension. The plan now was to clear the entire backlog.

Responding to suggestions made by the participants, the Chief Minister approved to raise a fitting memorial in Hyderabad in memory of those who laid down their lives during freedom struggle, especially those from the State who took part in the first Indian War of Independence. The participants included former Chief Minister N. Bhaskara Rao, APCC president K. Keshav Rao, BJP State president B. Dattatreya, Rural Development Minister G. Chinna Reddy, G. Mallesh of the CPI and B. Seetharamaiah, secretary, All-India Freedom Fighters Organisation.

It was decided to celebrate the event throughout the year in the State by organising cultural programmes, exhibitions depicting lives of great patriots and the various facets of the freedom movement. A freedom run would be organised in Hyderabad and district headquarters. Rallies and cultural programmes like folk dances, film shows, exhibitions, street-plays, shows on June-e-Azadi would be organised at villages.

Universities, colleges and schools would conduct seminars and contests in essay-writing and elocution. In place of “Bharatiyam”, a different cultural programme -- on freedom struggle from 1857 to 1947 -- would be conducted at the Parade Grounds this time.

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