32.5 lakh ex-servicemen receiving govt pensions, MoS Ajay Bhatt told LS

Several MPs asked a question in the Lok Sabha for data about the ex-servicemen pensioners in the country. Union Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt informed that 32,48,285 ex-servicemen are receiving pensions with the maximum number from Uttar Pradesh (4,23,667). About Rs 5,56,523.89 crores were given as pension in the last five years, he said.

New Delhi: As many as 32,48,285 ex-servicemen are receiving pensions from the Government with the maximum number from Uttar Pradesh (4,23,667), followed by 2,92,691 in Maharashtra, 2,71,595 in Punjab and 2,242,30 in Haryana, the government said in the Lok Sabha. The reply was given to a question asked by several MPs in the Lower House on Friday.

The MPs asked for the total number of ex-servicemen personnel receiving pensions from the Government. Ajay Bhatt, Union Minister of State for Defense via a written reply shared data as per which 32,48,285 are the number of ex-servicemen personnel received pensions from the government. He also noted in his reply that, "There is no provision for the rank-wise compilation of the pensionary awards paid to the ex-servicemen."

As per the reply, Bhatt also presented data according to which a total of Rs 91,999.58 crores were spent in the year 2017 on expenditure on pension and other retirement benefits for the servicemen including the combined forces of Army, Air Force, and Navy and includes Gratuity Commutation (CVP), Family Pension and others. For the years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, the numbers stood at Rs 10,1774.70 crores, Rs 11,7810.24 crores, Rs 12,8066.00 crore, and Rs 11,6873.37 crores respectively.

The Minister also apprised the members of the steps taken by the Government for the welfare of ex-servicemen in the country which includes the Daughters Marriage Grant (upto two daughters), applicable to daughters of Pensioner/Non-Pensioner ESM upto Hav Rank) amounting to Rs 50,000, Medical Treatment Grant (applicable to Non-pensioner ESM up to Hav Rank and his dependents) amounting to Rs 30,000 (max), Orphan Grant amounting to Rs 3,000/month, and several others.

It is pertinent to note here that experts have several times opined that the major reason behind the Agnipath scheme could be to reduce increasing pension payments in the combined forces of the Army, Air Force, and Navy as every time a huge portion of the defence budget gets allocated for pensions. For the year 2023-24, Defence gets Rs 5.94 lakh crore in the Budget amounting to a jump of 13% over the previous year in which Rs 1.38 lakh crore is allocated for Defence Pensions.