Owning a safe home often means keeping it in good condition, but repair costs can be difficult for vulnerable households to meet. In Puducherry, the department of Sainik Welfare runs a welfare scheme that provides financial assistance for the re-thatching and repair of houses belonging to eligible ex-servicemen, widows of ex-servicemen and their dependants.Ex-servicemen and their families in Puducherry who live in thatched houses can avail financial assistance of up to Rs 40,000 under a welfare scheme aimed at helping them undertake repair and re-thatching work.The Thatched House Repair Grant for Re-thatching & Repairs, provides eligible beneficiaries with financial support once every three years. The grant covers the actual cost of damage or a maximum of Rs 40,000 for repair and re-thatching works.The amount sanctioned by the Management Committee is transferred directly to the beneficiary’s bank account through RTGS or NEFT.
Who is eligible?
The scheme is available to registered ex-servicemen (ESM), widows of ex-servicemen and dependants of ex-servicemen who fulfil the prescribed conditions.Applicants must:
- Be registered with the Department of Sainik Welfare, Puducherry.
- Be receiving a Subsistence Allowance.
- Be living in a thatched house.
However, the benefit is not available to ex-servicemen or living spouses/widows who are re-employed as regular or deemed regular employees in the Government, Public Sector Undertakings or private organisations, or are self-employed income tax assessees.
Offline application process
Applications are accepted only in the offline mode.Interested applicants must collect the prescribed application form from the Rajya Sainik Board, Department of Sainik Welfare, during working days and office hours.After filling in the mandatory details, affixing a passport-sized photograph wherever required and attaching the necessary documents, applicants have to submit the completed form to the concerned authority at the Rajya Sainik Board. A receipt is issued after submission.
Documents to be submitted
Applicants need to furnish:
- Identity Card of the ex-serviceman or widow of an ex-serviceman.
- Discharge Certificate of the ex-serviceman.
- Declaration by the ex-serviceman or widow of an ex-serviceman.
- Bill for the re-thatching and/or repair of the house.
- Any other document required by the Department.
Other details
According to the scheme details, Short Service and Emergency Commissioned Officers are eligible for ex-serviceman status if they were released after completing the specified period of engagement and were granted gratuity at the time of release.The Department also states that the scheme is applicable to widows of ex-servicemen, provided they are registered with the Department of Sainik Welfare, Puducherry.Applications must be submitted to the competent authority at the Rajya Sainik Board during working days and office hours.