<p>Sepoy Balbir Singh had left his home at village Shaleri for his unit (15 Sikh Light Infantry) at Bathinda on October 10, 1990 but never reported to the unit.<br />Brigadier Indrajeet Singh Gakhal, Director of Sainik Welfare (Punjab), presented the jawan's wife Palwinder Kaur with pension documents at the Directorate head office.<br />Kaur would receive a monthly pension of Rs 3,500 besides more than Rs three lakh as arrears, an official spokesman said.<br /><br />A few months before the woman had learnt that her husband had been declared as a deserter. Kaur, then, informed local police that her husband had gone missing, but efforts to trace him failed.<br />She went from pillar to post as there was no other bread earner for the family which included three infants.<br /><br />During all these years, Kaur kept on approaching army authorities for pension but in vain as her claim was rejected on technical reasons.<br />It was in this period District Sainik Welfare Office (Fatehgarh Sahib) kept on providing some financial help to the family.<br />Kaur's sorrows did not end as she along with her children was thrown out of her husband's house by in-laws and forced to take shelter with her mother at Tarkheri village.<br /><br />The case for pension to Palwinder Kaur was taken up fresh with Army Authorities in the beginning of 2008.<br />In the meantime, the woman was employed in Sainik Vocational Training Center, Fatehgarh Sahib, to provide her financial independence.</p>
<p>Sepoy Balbir Singh had left his home at village Shaleri for his unit (15 Sikh Light Infantry) at Bathinda on October 10, 1990 but never reported to the unit.<br />Brigadier Indrajeet Singh Gakhal, Director of Sainik Welfare (Punjab), presented the jawan's wife Palwinder Kaur with pension documents at the Directorate head office.<br />Kaur would receive a monthly pension of Rs 3,500 besides more than Rs three lakh as arrears, an official spokesman said.<br /><br />A few months before the woman had learnt that her husband had been declared as a deserter. Kaur, then, informed local police that her husband had gone missing, but efforts to trace him failed.<br />She went from pillar to post as there was no other bread earner for the family which included three infants.<br /><br />During all these years, Kaur kept on approaching army authorities for pension but in vain as her claim was rejected on technical reasons.<br />It was in this period District Sainik Welfare Office (Fatehgarh Sahib) kept on providing some financial help to the family.<br />Kaur's sorrows did not end as she along with her children was thrown out of her husband's house by in-laws and forced to take shelter with her mother at Tarkheri village.<br /><br />The case for pension to Palwinder Kaur was taken up fresh with Army Authorities in the beginning of 2008.<br />In the meantime, the woman was employed in Sainik Vocational Training Center, Fatehgarh Sahib, to provide her financial independence.</p>