BENGALURU: A war veteran is fighting for retirement benefits four decades after he returned to civilian life.Havildar Mallikarjunayya Ronad, who helped wounded soldiers during the war with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971, is now 72.
A full 41 years after ending his engagement with the Army Medical Corps (AMC), Ronad is running around for benefits such as pension and health cover.
“I have not got anything after retirement except `2,000 as provident fund,” he said.
Ronad was decorated with the Raksha medal in 1965, and his Army record says his service was exemplary. Today, he lives with his family in Abbigeri, a small village about 18 km from Gadag in northern Karnataka. His livelihood depends on agriculture.
Ronad joined service on October 31, 1961, for a 12-year tenure, with an additional eight years of reserve.
After completing 12 years, he was discharged at his request. “I told them I would be ready to return to work any time during the reserve period. My seniors did not consider the request, and discharged me without taking the reserve period into account,” explains Ronad, whose memory is razor-sharp.
On October 30, 1973, he retired without any pension.
Since then, he has been communicating with the Army and other government agencies. “I also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar recently,” he said.
He has approached all authorities, from the Abbigeri gram panchayat to the President of India, but no help has been forthcoming.
“On paper, the state and Central governments have good welfare schemes for ex-servicemen, but they say my father, who served in the Army for 12 years, is not entitled to any of those benefits,” said Rajashekhar, his son.
Ronad went to the AMC in Lucknow, to which he was attached while in service, seeking help as the family’s finances were not good.
Such was his condition that he was jailed for a delay in repaying a loan. “In 2007, my father had taken `4,000 from a local bank. They filed a case and he was jailed when he defaulted. We paid the money and got him released. After that, it has become difficult for us even to get a loan,” said Rajashekhar.
Help Promised
After Express brought Ronad’s plight to the notice of Flt Lt M S Lolaksha, in-charge director, Department of Sainik Welfare and Resettlement, he said he would help. “Ronad will get an annual grant of `4,000 and one-time financial assistance. Since he has not completed 15 years in service, he is not eligible for a pension.
“But he can send a petition to the Chief of Army Staff, through AMC,” said Lolaksha, who recently took over as in-charge director of the department. He said his officers would help Ronad.