Monthly Pension for Parents of Martyred Soldiers, Madhya Pradesh

What is the Monthly Pension for Parents of Martyred Soldiers?

Monthly Pension for Parents of Martyred Soldiers is a state-sponsored Madhya Pradesh scheme started on 24 March 2017, run by the Home Department through the Directorate of Sainik Welfare, Bhopal. According to the Madhya Pradesh entitlement record published on the state CM Helpline portal, the purpose of the scheme is to give financial assistance to the mother and father of a soldier killed in action for their maintenance (bharan poshan).

The scheme pays Rs 5,000 per month. It is separate from, and additional to, the central pension and gratuity that flow from the Armed Forces, and separate from the state's other benefits for martyrs' families.

The trigger for the scheme is the acceptance of the death as a battle casualty by the Government of Madhya Pradesh. Until that acceptance is recorded, the file cannot move.

Who is eligible for this pension?

The Madhya Pradesh entitlement record sets four tests, and all four must be met:

• The death of the soldier has been sanctioned as a battle casualty by the Government of Madhya Pradesh, on the strength of the battle casualty certificate issued by Army Headquarters.
• The martyred soldier was a native resident (mool nivasi) of Madhya Pradesh.
• The parents were dependent on the martyred soldier, certified by the Tehsildar.
• The parents' annual income is below Rs 10,000.

The beneficiary class is recorded as open to all, and the beneficiary type as soldier (sainik) families. The scheme runs in both urban and rural Madhya Pradesh.

Who cannot apply

• Parents of a soldier whose death has not been accepted as a battle casualty are not eligible under this particular scheme. Battle casualty covers death during war, military action, terrorist or Naxalite attack and internal security operations, as set out in the related state records.
• Parents of a soldier who was not a native of Madhya Pradesh cannot apply to this scheme, even if they now live in the state.
• Parents whose annual income is Rs 10,000 or more fall outside the selection criterion recorded for the scheme.
• Parents who were not dependent on the martyred soldier, and cannot obtain the Tehsildar's dependency certificate, are not eligible.
• The widow, children or siblings of the martyred soldier are not the beneficiaries of this particular pension. Other state schemes cover them, including the Mukhyamantri Kargil Sahayata Kosh assistance and the special government appointment for a family member.

How much is paid, and how?

There is no cash counter and no intermediary. The pension reaches the parents' own account.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the Monthly Pension for Parents of Martyred Soldiers

1. Contact the District Sainik Welfare Office of the district in Madhya Pradesh to which the martyred soldier belonged. The entitlement record names this office as the place of application, contact and registration.
2. Obtain the battle casualty certificate through the unit or record office and ensure the Government of Madhya Pradesh has sanctioned the death as a battle casualty. This sanction is the gate for the whole file.
3. Get the Tehsildar's dependency certificate showing that the parents were dependent on the soldier, and an income certificate showing annual income below Rs 10,000.
4. Submit the application with the domicile certificate, bank passbook copy and Aadhaar at the District Sainik Welfare Office. No fee is charged.
5. Follow up with the Directorate of Sainik Welfare, Bhopal, which is the designated officer for the scheme and the sanctioning authority. The recorded time limit is one week.
6. Confirm the first credit in the parents' bank account with the District Sainik Welfare Office, which is the paying office.

The reference link recorded for online information on the scheme is rsbmp.nic.in, the Rajya Sainik Board Madhya Pradesh site.

How to check the status of the pension

• Ask the District Sainik Welfare Office — it holds the file, and it is also the office that credits the money each month.
• Escalate to the Directorate of Sainik Welfare, Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal, which allots the funds to the district office.
• Lodge a status query on the CM Helpline, 181, quoting the scheme name.

Why an application gets held up

• Battle casualty not yet sanctioned by the state government. This is the most common cause of delay; the pension cannot be sanctioned before it.
• Dependency certificate missing. The Tehsildar's certificate is specifically named in the eligibility criteria and cannot be substituted with an affidavit.
• Income certificate showing Rs 10,000 or more a year, which puts the parents outside the selection criterion.
• Domicile not established for the martyred soldier.
• Bank account details wrong or account dormant, so the monthly credit fails.

Related Madhya Pradesh schemes for martyrs' families

Madhya Pradesh runs several other benefits through the same Directorate of Sainik Welfare, and families should claim them alongside this pension:

• Mukhyamantri Kargil Sahayata Kosh assistance of Rs 10 lakh to the dependant of a soldier martyred, or disabled in war, during war, military action, terrorist or Naxalite attack, or internal security operations, with assistance for a disabled soldier scaled to the medical board percentage. The amount is sent by RTGS from the Chief Minister's Office, or by cheque through the District Collector.
• Special appointment in government service for one member of a martyred soldier's family, in class II, III or IV posts according to qualification.
• Rs 10,000 as a marriage gift for the daughter or sister of a soldier martyred or disabled in the same categories of action, sanctioned through the District Sainik Welfare Office on the recommendation of the District Sainik Welfare Officer or the Collector.

How to raise a grievance

• Appeal authority for this pension: the Director, Sainik Welfare, Madhya Pradesh.
• For the Kargil Sahayata Kosh assistance, the appeal lies with the Home Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh.
• State grievance route: the Madhya Pradesh CM Helpline on 181.

The scheme is free of any application fee, and no agent has any role in it. The Madhya Pradesh entitlement record for the scheme was last updated on 16 November 2022.