Supreme Court Grants ₹10 Lakh Additional Relief to Shaurya Chakra Awardee's Widow

• The Supreme Court directed an additional ₹10 lakh payment to the widow of a GREF employee who was posthumously awarded the Shaurya Chakra.
• The Court extended extraordinary family pension benefits to Kuldeep Kaur, the widow of late Mohan Singh, from the date of her husband's death in 2000.
• The decision was made possible under Article 142 of the Constitution and the then-applicable CCS (Extraordinary Pension) Rules 1939.
• The case highlights the importance of providing adequate compensation and pension benefits to the families of gallantry award recipients.

The Court remarked that the widow or family of a gallantry award recipient should not ordinarily be required to approach a court to secure such benefits.

In a significant development, the Supreme Court has directed an additional ₹10 lakh payment to the widow of a General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF) employee who was posthumously awarded the Shaurya Chakra for his bravery in saving fellow workers during road construction along the India-China border. The Court's decision extends extraordinary family pension benefits to Kuldeep Kaur, the widow of late Mohan Singh, from the date of her husband's death in 2000. This additional relief comes despite the fact that Kaur's counsel had earlier restricted the claim for arrears to three years preceding the filing of her writ petition.

The Supreme Court's decision was made possible under Article 142 of the Constitution, which empowers the Court to extend relief in exceptional cases. The Court relied on this provision to grant extraordinary family pension benefits to Kaur, despite the fact that she had already received ordinary family pension and compensation under the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1923. The CCS (Extraordinary Pension) Rules 1939 also played a crucial role in this case, as they governed the entitlement of government employees to extraordinary family pension benefits at the time. These rules were superseded by the CCS (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 2023, effective February 27, 2023.

The Supreme Court's decision has significant implications for government employees who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country. The case highlights the importance of providing adequate compensation and pension benefits to the families of gallantry award recipients, ensuring that they receive the recognition and support they deserve. Lawyers may need to advise clients on entitlement to extraordinary family pension benefits under CCS (Extraordinary Pension) Rules 2023, particularly in cases where a government employee has been awarded the Shaurya Chakra for bravery.

Lawyers may need to advise clients on entitlement to extraordinary family pension benefits under CCS (Extraordinary Pension) Rules 1939, particularly in cases where a government employee has been awarded the Shaurya Chakra for gallantry.

Source: Original reporting via Supreme Court Grants ₹10 Lakh Additional Relief To Widow Of Shaurya Chakra Awardee Who Life Saving Workers