Disabled veterans protest tax on war injury pension

Jaipur: Disabled war veterans across India have condemned a Budget decision to impose income tax on War Disability Pension from April 1, calling it an insult to soldiers injured in combat and a break from a tax exemption in place since 1922.In a letter addressed to the Union home minister and all Parliament members Wednesday, the veterans said there are currently 7,091 disabled war veterans, as recorded by the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) as of June 2024. They also said that since the number of beneficiaries is limited, the financial burden on the exchequer can only be minimal."War injury pension is not an income earned. It is compensation for permanent loss of limb, organ, or function sustained during military operations. Taxing this pension amounts to taxing the blood and sacrifice of soldiers who have already paid a price far greater than any citizen should ever have to," states the letter written by Col (Retd) SK Garg, president of Disabled War Veterans (DIWAVE) India.The veterans said exempting war injury pension from income tax would be "a small but meaningful gesture of national gratitude and moral responsibility." The pension is granted to armed forces personnel who suffered wounds or grievous injuries while defending the nation.Col (Retd) AK Mathur, president, DIWAVE Rajasthan, said, "People like me, who are wounded but still serve the nation, will not get the benefit. Was it a crime to serve the country despite my injuries just because I was spirited?"