The Haryana Government gives monthly financial assistance to ex-servicemen who are 100% permanently blind and who do not receive any pension or financial assistance from any source. The scheme, “Financial Assistance to Blind Ex-Servicemen”, is run by the Sainik and Ardh Sainik Welfare Department, Government of Haryana. The assistance was fixed at Rs 3,000 per month (from 1 November 2016), with an increase of Rs 400 every year in November — by that calculation the assistance works out to Rs 7,000 per month from 1 November 2026. (The Rs 7,000 figure is calculated from the 2016 government order — see the full rate history below; please confirm the current rate in writing from your Zila Sainik Board.) Applications are made online through the Antyodaya SARAL portal. This guide gives the eligibility, benefit, documents, the full online and offline application process, fees, status check and helpline — and wherever information could not be confirmed from an official source, that is written clearly.
Scheme at a glance
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Scheme name | Financial Assistance to Blind Ex-Servicemen (FABESM) |
| Level | Haryana State Government scheme |
| Department | Sainik and Ardh Sainik Welfare Department, Haryana (Rajya Sainik Board / Zila Sainik Boards) |
| Benefit | Rs 3,000 per month (from 1.11.2016) + Rs 400 increase every November — by calculation Rs 7,000 per month from 1.11.2026 |
| Eligibility (in brief) | Bona fide resident of Haryana; 100% permanently blind ex-serviceman; not in receipt of any pension or financial assistance from any source |
| How to apply | Online — Antyodaya SARAL portal; offline — your district Zila Sainik Board office |
| Application fee | No fee is stated on myScheme |
| Last date | No fixed last date — applications remain open through the year |
| Status check | status.saralharyana.nic.in |
| Helpline | SARAL 0172-3968400; Sainik Welfare Call Centre 0172-5210277 |
Benefit — how much assistance is given
Under this scheme, a 100% permanently blind ex-serviceman gets monthly financial assistance. According to myScheme and the government orders, the rate has increased as follows:
| Period | Rate (per month) | Order |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 30 November 2004 | Rs 450 | — |
| From 1 December 2004 | Rs 600 | Memo No. 24/9/97-4D-III, 16.12.2004 |
| From 13 December 2006 | Rs 1,000 | Memo No. 24/9/97-4DIII, 5.4.2007 |
| From the 2014 order | Rs 1,500 | Memo 28.5.2014 (effective date not seen for this guide) |
| From 1 November 2016 | Rs 3,000 | Memo No. 24/9/97-4D-III, 29.10.2016 |
| Every November (from 1.11.2017) | +Rs 400 per year | Same order — by calculation Rs 7,000 per month from 1.11.2026 |
How Rs 7,000 is calculated: Rs 3,000 (from 1.11.2016) plus a Rs 400 increase every November from November 2017 to November 2026 — 10 increases in total, i.e. Rs 4,000 — giving Rs 7,000 per month. The order states no upper limit on the increase. Please note: no order after 29 October 2016 was found, so the Rs 7,000 figure is calculated from the order — it is not confirmed by a newer order. Confirm the current rate in writing from your Zila Sainik Board before relying on it.
From when is the assistance paid: if the application/claim is found in order, financial assistance is sanctioned with effect from the first day of the following month in which the case is sanctioned by the competent sanctioning authority of the Rajya Sainik Board. The expenditure is met from the Government budget under Major Head “2235-SSW-60-OSSWP-200-OP-(86) FA to Blind ESM-09-GIA (Non-Plan)”.
Before the assistance is released, the concerned Welfare Organizer signs a written certificate on the grant roll that all the beneficiaries included in it are alive, and the Secretary, Zila Sainik Board, countersigns it — the Secretary is personally responsible for any lapse or error.
Eligibility — who can apply
According to the guidelines (Annexure ‘A’, Memo 16.12.2004), there are three eligibility conditions:
- Bona fide resident of Haryana: the applicant must be a bona fide resident of the State of Haryana.
- 100% permanently blind ex-serviceman: the applicant must be a 100% permanently blind ex-serviceman — proved by a medical certificate issued by a competent medical authority.
- No pension or financial assistance: the applicant must not be in receipt of any kind of pension or financial assistance either from the Haryana State Government, any Department of the Government of India, or any body controlled by the Central or State Government. This is the strictest condition of the scheme.
Definition of ex-serviceman: for the purpose of eligibility, the definition of ex-serviceman is the one notified by the Ministry of Defence, Government of India, from time to time (Department of Personnel Memo dated 27.3.1987; Annexure ‘B’ of the guidelines).
Conditions that do NOT exist: the guidelines state no age limit, no income limit and no rank condition. And most importantly — there is no condition that the blindness must have been caused during military service. The only condition is that the applicant is a 100% permanently blind ex-serviceman receiving no pension or assistance.
How this scheme differs from other Sainik schemes
Several Sainik welfare schemes look alike — do not mix them up:
| Scheme | For whom | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Blind Ex-Servicemen Assistance (this guide) | 100% permanently blind ex-serviceman receiving no pension | Rs 7,000 per month (by calculation, from 1.11.2026) |
| Financial Assistance to Disabled Ex-Servicemen | Disabled ex-serviceman — disability need NOT be attributable to service | Rs 7,000 per month (by calculation, from 1.11.2026) |
| Additional Pension to 100% Disabled ESM having Children | Children of a 100% disabled ex-serviceman (disability attributable to service) | Rs 100/150/200 per child per month, maximum 3 children |
| Financial Assistance to Ex-Servicemen 60+ and their Widows | Ex-servicemen aged 60 or above and their widows | Rs 600 per month |
| Divyang Pension (Social Justice Department) | Persons with disabilities in Haryana | Rs 3,200 per month — a person getting it is NOT eligible for this scheme |
Note in particular: the Financial Assistance to Disabled Ex-Servicemen scheme uses the same formula — Rs 3,000 per month + a Rs 400 increase every year — and its order is also dated 29 October 2016. But that scheme is for disabled ex-servicemen generally, while this scheme is only for 100% permanently blind ex-servicemen. They are two separate schemes — applying for one does not make you eligible for the other.
Documents
myScheme does not give a document list for this scheme. The list below is taken from the government guidelines (Annexure ‘A’) — the list shown on the SARAL form at the time of applying will be final:
- Medical certificate: a certificate issued by a competent medical authority stating that the applicant is 100% permanently blind.
- Original Discharge Book: the original Discharge Book issued by the concerned Record Office of the ex-serviceman — submitted for scrutiny of the claim and returned through the respective Zila Sainik Board after scrutiny.
- Affidavit: an affidavit in the prescribed form (Annexure ‘C’), duly attested by a First Class Magistrate — declaring bona fide residence in Haryana, 100% permanent blindness, and that no pension or financial assistance is being received.
- DSWO certificate: a certificate issued by the concerned District Social Welfare Officer to the effect that the applicant is not getting any financial assistance or pension from the Social Justice & Empowerment Department of Haryana.
PPP Family ID: the SARAL form asks for the Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) number — Step 5 of myScheme’s application process says so. Aadhaar card and bank account details are not mentioned in the guidelines; whatever the SARAL form asks for at the time of applying will apply.
How to apply online — SARAL portal
Applications are made online through the Antyodaya SARAL portal (saralharyana.gov.in). According to myScheme, the process is:
Registration (for first-time users):
Step 1: Visit the official Antyodaya-SARAL Portal (saralharyana.gov.in). Step 2: If you are not registered on the portal, register there. Step 3: Click “New User” under ‘Sign In Here’ and fill in all the mandatory details — Name, Email ID, Mobile Number, Password and State — then click ‘Submit’. Step 4: Verify your mobile number and email ID through the OTP received and complete the registration.
Login and apply:
Step 1: Visit the SARAL portal and log in through the email ID used while registering. Step 2: Enter Password and Captcha and click on ‘Login’. Step 3: After successful login, click on ‘Apply for Services’ and then ‘View all Available Services’. Step 4: Search for the scheme and download the pre-defined documents form/template — you will need to upload the filled-in/signed form/template in the ‘Attach Enclosures’ screen. Step 5: Click on ‘Proceed to Apply’ to fill out the application form. Enter your Parivar Pehchan Patra number — Family ID — and click on “Click here to Fetch Family Data”, which displays the family members registered under the given Family ID. Step 6: Select the beneficiary/applicant name and enter the OTP sent to the selected family member for verification. Click on “Click to Verify”. Step 7: Fill in all the mandatory details and upload all the mandatory documents. Step 8: Preview the application form and click on ‘Submit’.
Please note: all applications received by the Zila Sainik Boards are scrutinized at the Zila Sainik Board level itself, and the applications found fit for grant of financial assistance are forwarded with all relevant documents to the Rajya Sainik Board with the clear recommendation of the Secretary, Zila Sainik Board. The SARAL service name/serial number for this scheme is not stated on myScheme — search for “Financial Assistance to Blind Ex-Servicemen” in the services list.
How to apply offline — Zila Sainik Board
Besides applying online, an application can also be submitted at your district Zila Sainik Board office — according to the guidelines, all applications are received by the Zila Sainik Boards and scrutinized there. Submit the application with the documents; after scrutiny, a fit case is forwarded with the Secretary, Zila Sainik Board’s recommendation to the Rajya Sainik Board, Panchkula. The original Discharge Book is returned through the Zila Sainik Board after scrutiny. Always take an acknowledgement receipt when you submit the application.
Fees and timeline
Application fee: no application fee is stated on myScheme for this scheme. If any fee appears while filling the form on SARAL, that is what applies. A service charge may apply separately if you apply through a Saral Kendra/CSC Centre — ask before applying.
Last date: myScheme lists no last date for this scheme (schemeCloseDate: null) — applications remain open through the year.
Sanction and payment: if the claim is found in order, assistance starts from the first day of the month following the month in which the Rajya Sainik Board sanctions the case. Payment is made every month.
Annual survival verification: every year in April, proof of survival (survival verification) from the revenue authorities must be submitted. Payment is stopped with immediate effect for any beneficiary who fails to submit it — and the Secretary, Zila Sainik Board, is personally responsible for any lapse in this regard. Old beneficiaries need not apply afresh — they continue to get the assistance at the enhanced rates, provided they keep submitting the survival verification every year.
RTS timeline: no Right to Service timeline for sanction or payment is stated on myScheme — so no number of days is written here.
How to check your application status
After submitting the application, its status can be checked on the SARAL status portal:
Through the portal: Visit https://status.saralharyana.nic.in/ → select the department name and the scheme name → enter your Application Reference ID → check the status.
Through SMS: no SMS number is given on this scheme’s myScheme page, so no number is given here. SARAL’s general SMS service (SARAL<space>Application ID, 7738299899) is written on other schemes’ pages — confirm with your Zila Sainik Board or the SARAL helpline before using it for this scheme.
Helpline
- SARAL helpline: 0172-3968400 (7:00 AM to 8:00 PM; Monday to Saturday, excluding government holidays) — email: [email protected]
- Sainik Welfare Call Centre: 0172-5210277 (Monday to Saturday, 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, except government holidays) — the Haryana Government’s dedicated call centre for serving armed forces personnel, ex-servicemen and CAPF personnel and their families (operational since 20 March 2026).
- Rajya Sainik Board, Haryana: Sainik Bhawan, Sector 12, Shaheed Capt Rohit Kaushal Marg, Panchkula – 134109 (contact details taken from published directories — please re-confirm by phone before visiting).
- Zila Sainik Board: contact your district Zila Sainik Board office — scrutiny of applications and recommendations are made there.
- SARAL user manual: https://saralharyana.gov.in/resources/homePage/6/pdf/Using%20Saral.pdf
Please note — facts that could not be verified
Every figure and condition in this guide comes from an official source (myScheme, the guidelines PDF, the 29.10.2016 order). But some important points are not found in any official source — we are not inventing them; please confirm them in writing from your Zila Sainik Board before applying:
- The current rate of Rs 7,000 is calculated, not confirmed by a new order: no order after 29 October 2016 was found. Rs 3,000 + a Rs 400 increase every year gives Rs 7,000 per month from 1 November 2026 — but this is arithmetic, not a confirmation from a newer order. Get the current rate in writing from the ZSB.
- The effective date of the Rs 1,500 rate was not seen: the memo of 28.5.2014 is referred to in the 2016 order, but that memo itself was not found — so the date from which Rs 1,500 applied is not written here.
- No upper limit on the increase is stated — but it is also nowhere stated that the Rs 400 annual increase continues after 2026.
- myScheme has no document list: the list above is from the 2004 guidelines (Annexure ‘A’). The list shown on the SARAL form at the time of applying will be final — follow that.
- Who issues the blindness certificate: the guidelines only say “competent medical authority” — Medical Board, Civil Surgeon or someone else is not named.
- SARAL service name/serial not found: myScheme does not state the SARAL service name or serial number for this scheme — the scheme name must be searched in the services list.
- Fee and RTS timeline not stated: neither an application fee nor a sanction/payment timeline is stated on myScheme.
- No SMS number for status check on this scheme’s page: myScheme’s page for this scheme gives no SMS number.
- The kms guideline PDF did not open: the “Scheme Details” link on myScheme (kms.saralharyana.nic.in) did not open from here on 9 November 2026 — so the conditions inside it could not be read.
- Rajya Sainik Board contact details are from published directories (the department’s website did not open from here) — please re-confirm the phone number and address before visiting.
- Blindness need not be attributable to service: the guidelines contain no such condition — this is not a relaxation by us; the condition simply is not in the eligibility list.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
1. How much assistance does a blind ex-serviceman get?
Rs 3,000 per month (from 1 November 2016) + an increase of Rs 400 every November. By that calculation, the assistance works out to Rs 7,000 per month from 1 November 2026. This figure is calculated from the 2016 order — confirm the current rate in writing from your Zila Sainik Board.
2. Who can apply?
A bona fide resident of Haryana who is a 100% permanently blind ex-serviceman and who does not receive any pension or financial assistance from any source — the Haryana Government, the Government of India, or any body controlled by them.
3. Can an ex-serviceman who already gets a pension also apply?
No. This is the strictest condition of the scheme — if any pension or financial assistance is received from any source, there is no eligibility. If it is found even after sanction that a beneficiary is drawing assistance or pension from anywhere else, he is permanently debarred from this scheme.
4. Must the blindness have been caused during military service?
No — the guidelines contain no such condition. The only condition is that the applicant is a 100% permanently blind ex-serviceman. This is what sets this scheme apart from the Additional Pension for children of 100% disabled ex-servicemen, where the disability must be attributable to service.
5. How do I apply?
Online — register on the Antyodaya SARAL portal (saralharyana.gov.in) and search for “Financial Assistance to Blind Ex-Servicemen”. Offline — submit the application with documents at your district Zila Sainik Board office.
6. Which documents are needed?
A medical certificate from a competent medical authority (100% permanent blindness), the original Discharge Book, an affidavit in the prescribed form attested by a First Class Magistrate, and a DSWO certificate that no assistance or pension is being received from the Social Justice & Empowerment Department. The SARAL form also asks for the PPP Family ID.
7. What must be done every year?
Every year in April, proof of survival (survival verification) from the revenue authorities must be submitted. If it is not submitted, payment is stopped immediately. Old beneficiaries need not apply afresh — they keep getting the assistance at the enhanced rates, provided they submit this proof every year.
8. Can a person getting the Divyang Pension apply for this scheme?
No. The Divyang Pension (Rs 3,200 per month) is given by Haryana’s Social Justice & Empowerment Department, and a person getting it is not eligible for this scheme — because this scheme requires that the applicant receives no pension or financial assistance from any source.
9. From when will the assistance start?
If the claim is found in order, from the first day of the month following the month in which the Rajya Sainik Board sanctions the case. For example, if a case is sanctioned in December, the assistance starts from 1 January.
Official links
- myScheme — Financial Assistance to Blind Ex-Servicemen: https://www.myscheme.gov.in/schemes/fabesm
- Scheme guidelines (csharyana.gov.in, Defence III/2540.pdf — orders of 16.12.2004 and 5.4.2007): https://csharyana.gov.in/WriteReadData/Policies/Defence%20III/2540.pdf
- Rate enhancement order (Memo No. 24/9/97-4D-III, 29.10.2016): https://csharyana.gov.in/WriteReadData/Instructions/Defence%20III/5778.pdf
- Antyodaya SARAL portal: https://saralharyana.gov.in/
- SARAL status check: https://status.saralharyana.nic.in/
- SARAL user manual: https://saralharyana.gov.in/resources/homePage/6/pdf/Using%20Saral.pdf
- Related guide — Financial Assistance to Disabled Ex-Servicemen: https://www.viksitharyana.com/english/haryana-financial-assistance-disabled-ex-servicemen-2026-en/
- Related guide — Additional Pension to 100% Disabled ESM having Children: https://www.viksitharyana.com/english/haryana-additional-pension-disabled-esm-children-2026-en/
- Related guide — Financial Assistance to Ex-Servicemen 60+ and their Widows: https://www.viksitharyana.com/english/haryana-financial-assistance-ex-servicemen-60-years-widows-2026-en/
- Related guide — Divyang Pension Rs 3,200 (Hindi guide): https://www.viksitharyana.com/haryana-divyang-pension-3200/
Disclaimer: This information is prepared on 9 November 2026 from myScheme (myscheme.gov.in), the Haryana Government guidelines (Defence III/2540.pdf) and the rate enhancement order (Memo No. 24/9/97-4D-III, 29.10.2016). The current rate (Rs 7,000 per month) is a calculation from the 2016 order — for the final rate, the final document list and the application status, please confirm in writing from your Zila Sainik Board (Sainik Welfare Call Centre 0172-5210277) or the SARAL helpline (0172-3968400). If the rules change, the Department/Board’s order will apply.
