Responding to growing criticism over a Finance Ministry decision to tax the disability pension of military personnel, Minister Nirmala Sitharaman put the onus for the initiative on the Army. “This aspect is being exploited by unscrupulous personnel, who have gained from disability benefits provided to disabled soldiers,” the note said. The Army, the unsigned note says, is concerned about the personnel who are boarded out because of their disability and need additional financial support. At the same time, those who have found the leverages in the existing system for seeking financial gains through their disabilities, need to be scrutinised and taken to task, wherever necessitated,” it added. The note also states that the broad banding and higher compensation awarded for disability with tax exemption has over the years led to rise in personnel seeking disability, even for life style diseases.

Source: The Hindu July 02, 2019 16:18 UTC