Twenty three years after sergeant P.V.N.R Prasad of the Indian Air Force laid down his life for the nation during the Kargil war, his widow got the monetary allowance for the gallantry award – Vayusena Medal – days before the country observed Kargil Vijay Diwas.
Sergeant Prasad was killed in action while fighting against Pakistan during the Kargil war in May 1999. For his act of bravery, the Union Government posthumously awarded Vayu Sena Medal (VSM) by the then President of India. Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated on July 26 every year.
Air Chief Marshal A Y Tipnis sent a letter to Ms. Anuradha, widow of Sgt Prasad informing her of the Gallantry award. However, she did not receive any gazette notification or letter from Air Force for claiming the monetary allowance for VSM due to which she never approached Air Force or Sainik Welfare Department for the same.
However, Col Ramesh Kumar, Director Sainik Welfare, Telangana, accidentally came across the name of Sgt PVNR Prasad while going through the details of gallantry award winners of Air Force on the internet. Col Ramesh told The Hindu on Friday that when he contacted Ms Anuradha, she expressed ignorance about the monetary allowance for gallantry award to her late husband.
The Sainik Welfare Director then took up the proposal with Air Force HQ and pursued the issue as a result of which the PPO(Pension Payment Order) for grant of monetary allowance for gallantry award of VSM was sanctioned on July 17, 2023.
“The amount along with arrears w.e.f. date of death of Sgt Prasad (29 May 1999) will be credited to the bank account of his wife shortly. Also, henceforth, the monthly amount shall be paid along with pension every month,” he said.
Col Ramesh said: “Since VSM was was granted in July 2000, a year after death of Sgt Prasad, Air Force appears to have overlooked and since she did not ask anyone. Everybody assumed or thought that she might be getting it. However, I insisted on seeing her PPO and service book and both did not have a mention of Gallantry award since Gallantry award was awarded one year after death of her husband.”
He also pointed out that there was a similar case of Ms. Charulatha Acharya, widow of Major Padmapani Acharya, who also died in action. “I found out only when I examined her documents. She was also not aware that she was not getting the monetary allowance for the gallantry award Maha Vir Chakra (MVS). Her father-in-law was a retired Wing Commander and even he was not aware. I took up her case also in 2018 and got the entire amount with arrears and she continues to get till date,” he said.
