The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Centre directed to give pension to freedom fighter

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Friday, Aug 15, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Centre directed to give pension to freedom fighter

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday came to the rescue of an 82-year-old freedom fighter from Gulbarga district and directed the Central Government to ensure that he is given pension under the Swatantra Sainik Samman Pension scheme.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice P.D. Dinakaran and Justice V. Gopala Gowda passed the order dismissing a Central Government appeal against a single judge order directing it to give pension to the freedom fighter.

When the matter came up, Arya Venkoba Rao of Rangampet in Shorapur taluk of Gulbarga district said he had been denied pension on the ground that he had not spent six months in jail. The Central Government rule required that a freedom fighter spend at least six months in jail to be eligible.

Mr. Rao said he had participated in the Arya Samaj movement and in the Hyderabad liberation movement. He was an underground Sainik in the Bakshi-Hipperga Board camp. The Bench said India had attained Independence only because of the sacrifice of such freedom fighters. Governments should not stand on technicality while grating pension to freedom fighters. It dismissed the Centre’s appeal and directed it to ensure that Mr. Rao drew his pension.

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