Defence Minister appeals to contribute to Armed Forces Flag Day Fund

New Delhi: Defence Minister of India Shri Rajnath Singh has appealed to the general public to generously contribute to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (AFFDF), which is used in the rehabilitation and welfare of dependents of our brave soldiers who were killed in action or disabled. Flag Day gives the countrymen an opportunity to fulfill this obligation.

 

Out of the income earned on the AFFDF corpus, 7.5 percent is ploughed back into the corpus, and the balance is used to fund the welfare and rehabilitation schemes for Ex-Servicemen (ESM)/dependents. Rupees 133.21 crores were spent on 38,049 beneficiaries under the AFFDF in FY 2020-21.

 

A sum of Rs 33.35 crore was collected during Financial Year (FY) 2020-21. The Fund is administered by the Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB)Secretariat under the aegis of its Management Committee, headed by the Raksha Mantri and Executive Committee headed by Secretary, Ex-Servicemen Welfare (ESW). Generous contributions for AFFDF are solicited from the countrymen. Bank details of the AFFD Fund as follows:

PNB A/C No. 3083000100179875         IFSC: PUNB0308300
SBI A/C No. 34420400623                     IFSC: SBIN0001076
ICICI A/C No. 182401001380                IFSC: ICIC0001824

The KSB Secretariat, an attached office under the administrative control of the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence (MoD), is the apex body responsible for implementing Central Government policies for rehabilitation and welfare of the war widows/disabled, retired service personnel, and their dependents.  The welfare schemes are implemented through Rajya Sainik Boards (RSBs) located in State capitals and Zila Sainik Boards (ZSBs) located at the district level. The major source of funding for these welfare schemes is Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (AFFDF).

 

Financial assistance is provided to ESM/widows/dependents for their personal identified needs including penury grant, children's education grant, daughter’s marriage grants, and funeral grant. Some of the important welfare schemes funded out of AFFDF are as under:

 

Raksha Mantri's Ex-servicemen Welfare Fund (RMEWF)

Financial assistance is provided to ESM/dependents for their identified personal needs, including Penury Grant and Children Education Grantunder RMEWF. Financial assistance amounting to Rs 132.96 crore has been disbursed under RMEWF during FY 2020-21.

 

Financial Assistance for Serious Diseases

Financial assistance upto90and 75 percent expenditure subject to a maximum of Rs 1.25 lakhs (for heart ailments, etc) and Rs 0.75 lakhs per year (for dialysis and cancer) is being provided to non-pensioners Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR) and officers respectively. The total amount of  Rs22.69 lakhs was paid during FY 2020-21.

 

Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centres (PRCs)

In addition to Rs30,000/- per annum per inmate, an annual grant of Rs120lakhs and Rs 10.00 lakhs is being provided for upkeep/establishment to Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre (PRC), Khadkiand Mohalirespectively, the autonomous organizations run for rehabilitation of paraplegic and tetraplegic ESM. The total amount of Rs 168.72 lakhs has been disbursed to both PRCs during FY 2020-21.

 

War Memorial Hostels (WMHs)

War Memorial Hostels (WMHs) grant of Rs 1,350/- per month per child is provided towards of war widow/war disabled. An amount of Rs23.24 lakhs have been disbursed under this scheme during FY 2020-21.

Armed Forces Flag Day is observed on December 07 every year throughout the country to honour the fallen heroes and men in uniform who bravely fought for our motherland.On this day, Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel who sacrificed their lives for the cause of the nation are remembered by observing two-minute silence at 1100 hours as a mark of respect.

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