Cash Grant in lieu of Sewing Machine

What is the Cash Grant in lieu of Sewing Machine?

Cash Grant in lieu of Sewing Machine is a welfare grant of the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund, administered in the Union Territory by the Department of Sainik Welfare, Government of Puducherry. Under the scheme, Rs 10,000 is provided to the widow of an ex-serviceman for the purchase of a sewing machine.

The purpose is livelihood, not relief. A sewing machine gives a widow a home-based means of earning: tailoring, alterations, stitching for neighbours, that does not require her to leave the household or find formal employment. The department pays the money rather than issuing a machine, which lets the beneficiary choose a machine suited to the work she intends to do and buy it locally where servicing is available.

The Department of Sainik Welfare was re-designated from the office of the Rajya Sainik Board in May 1995. The Rajya Sainik Board continues to exist as the apex body that formulates policy for the resettlement, rehabilitation and welfare of ex-servicemen and their families, while the Department of Sainik Welfare implements the schemes on the ground.

How much is paid, and how?

The grant is Rs 10,000, paid once. The amount is credited to the beneficiary's bank account through RTGS or NEFT, so an accurate account number and IFSC code matter more than anything else on the form.

Because the payment is electronic, there is no cash handover and no requirement to collect anything from the office after sanction. The beneficiary buys the sewing machine herself once the money is credited.

Who is eligible for this grant?

You can apply if:

• You are the widow of an ex-serviceman.
• You are registered with the Department of Sainik Welfare, Government of Puducherry.
• You hold a bank account in your own name for the RTGS or NEFT credit.

You cannot apply if:

• You are not registered with the Department of Sainik Welfare, Puducherry. The scheme applies only to the widows of ex-servicemen registered with that department, so registration is the gateway to it.
• You are the widow of an ex-serviceman registered in another state, in which case approach that state's Sainik Welfare department, since the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund is administered state-wise.
• You are an ex-serviceman yourself, or a dependant other than the widow. The grant is specific to widows.
• You have already received this one-time grant, since it is not repeated.

If your husband served but was never registered with the department, your first step is to get his record registered, taking the discharge book and service documents to Jawan Bhawan.

What documents are required?

Take originals along with self-attested photocopies. The office keeps the copies.

How to apply for the Cash Grant in lieu of Sewing Machine

1. Confirm your registration with the Department of Sainik Welfare, Puducherry. If your late husband's record is not registered, take his discharge book and service documents to the office and complete the registration first.
2. Visit the Rajya Sainik Board, Jawan Bhawan, Department of Sainik Welfare, Government of Puducherry, at 261, Lawspet Main Road, Pakkamudianpet, Lawspet, Puducherry 605013, and request the hard copy of the prescribed application form from the concerned authority. The department also publishes the form for download on sainik.py.gov.in.
3. Fill in the form completely, entering your bank account number and IFSC code exactly as printed in the passbook. A single wrong digit will fail the RTGS or NEFT transfer.
4. Attach the documents: death certificate, discharge book or service records, Aadhaar card, bank passbook copy and a recent photograph.
5. Submit the application at Jawan Bhawan and collect the acknowledgement.
6. Follow up with the department after a few weeks, quoting your acknowledgement, and check your bank passbook for the credit.

How do I check my application status?

1. Keep the acknowledgement slip from Jawan Bhawan.
2. Call the Department of Sainik Welfare, Puducherry, on +91-413-2253107, or write to sainik[dot]pon[at]nic[dot]in.
3. Visit the office in person if you live in or near Puducherry, the department is small and walk-in queries are handled directly.
4. Confirm the credit in your bank passbook once sanction is communicated.

Common reasons applications are rejected or delayed

• Applicant not registered with the Department of Sainik Welfare, Puducherry. Registration must come first.
• Ex-serviceman status not established, because the discharge book or service records are missing.
• Bank details incorrect, causing the RTGS or NEFT transfer to fail. Check the IFSC code against the passbook, not from memory.
• Grant already availed. This is a one-time benefit.
• Annual allotment exhausted. The Armed Forces Flag Day Fund works to an annual allotment, so a sanctioned application may wait for funds rather than being rejected. Ask the department which of the two applies to your case.

Key dates

There is no fixed application window and no published last date. Applications are received through the year and processed against the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund allotment for that year, which is why applying early in the financial year is generally better than applying late.

How the Sainik Welfare set-up in Puducherry works

Understanding the two bodies involved helps when you visit the office. The Rajya Sainik Board is the apex body that formulates policy for the resettlement, rehabilitation and welfare of ex-servicemen and their families. The Department of Sainik Welfare, re-designated from the Rajya Sainik Board office in May 1995, is the implementing arm that receives applications, verifies records and releases payments. Both operate from Jawan Bhawan on Lawspet Main Road in Puducherry.

Funding for welfare grants of this kind comes from the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund, which is built up from public contributions collected around Armed Forces Flag Day each year and is distributed to state and union territory Sainik Welfare departments for spending on ex-servicemen, widows and dependants. Because the fund is allotted annually, the department works within a budget for the year, which is why the timing of an application matters and why a sanctioned case can sometimes wait for the next allotment.

Registration with the department is the foundation for every benefit it administers, not just this one. An ex-serviceman who registers on discharge, and whose widow's details are recorded alongside, spares the family a great deal of document-hunting later. If your household is not on the department's rolls, treat registration as the first task and the sewing machine grant as the second.

Help and contact

• Department of Sainik Welfare, Government of Puducherry, Rajya Sainik Board, Jawan Bhawan, 261 Lawspet Main Road, Pakkamudianpet, Lawspet, Puducherry 605013
• Telephone — +91-413-2253107
• Email: sainik[dot]pon[at]nic[dot]in
• Website, sainik.py.gov.in
• Application form page, sainik.py.gov.in/application-one-time-grant-widows-inline-sewing-machine
• Government of Puducherry department page; py.gov.in/sainik-welfare

There is no fee to apply for this grant. No official or agent may charge you for the form, for submitting it, or for getting the payment released.