Chandigarh, April 22, 2005, Rahul Singh (TOI)

Naga insurgents killed Capt Ashish Kumar Kundoo in an ambush in October 1959. The martyr's wife fought for financial benefits that widows are entitled to for over 45 years. Her relentless efforts just paid off.

Loyla Kundoo, 69, has received arrears of over Rs 10.5 lakh, which accrued to her as part of liberalised family pension available to widows of soldiers killed in action. Loyla was only 23 when Capt Kundoo was killed while serving as the regimental medical officer of 4 Sikh LI in Nagaland.

Her's has been an agonising journey — for decades Loyla and her daughter, who was barely one year old when her father died, lived on a measly pension of a few hundred rupees. But one can only imagine the sexagenarian's delight when her pension was revised to Rs 17,000 per month after the Western Command Ex-Servicemen Helpline successfully pursued her case with the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Pension) at Allahabad.

Loyla Kundoo, now settled in Mohali, told Times News Network, "We have gone through testing times over the years. Just think how demoralising it is if a soldier's widow is deprived of what is lawfully due to her. I had been married for a mere three years when my husband was killed. Bringing up my daughter with limited finances was quite a struggle."

The days ahead look bright for Loyla but yet the battle is half won. She has been paid arrears for the post-1996 period, against her claim that money became overdue to her way back in the mid-1980s.

Col Subhash Chander, director of the Western Command ESM Helpline, said it was unprecedented for a widow/pensioner to receive pension arrears to the tune of Rs 10.5 lakh. "We are pushing her case for additional arrears that accrued to her in the 1980s or even before," he added.

Till the ESM Helpline intervened, Loyla Kundoo was drawing ordinary family pension, which is just 30 per cent of the last pay drawn by a soldier.

Since her husband was killed in action, Loyla should have got liberalised pension or 100 per cent of the last pay drawn as per revised scales under the Fifth Pay Commission.