Dear Members of TSEWA,

1. You are well aware TSEWA has been given exemption from payment of income tax under Sec 12 A of Income Tax Act 1961 by Commissioner of Income Tax (Exemptions) Hyderabad. TSEWA has become a charitable organization in addition. The responsibility is to ensure we indulge in charitable activities to the extent of 85% of our annual income. TSEWA has a charity Division with the following who are administering the charitable activities:-

(a)    Col MK Veeramani, President, Mob No: 99480 99410.
(b)    Cmde Sudheer Parakala, Vice President, TSEWA, Mob No: 98490 57767
(c)    Hony Capt B Joseph, Joint Secretary, TSEWA, Mob No: 78934 90192

2. Col MK Veeramani has written to all nominated Presidents of Zones, States, regions, districts and metros to identify suitable beneficiary who needs financial assistance. The budget for the financial year 2017 – 18 is Rs 8 lakhs and unless we expend 85% of it by Mar 2018, we are liable to pay income tax @ 30% on unspent balance. We are also not likely to get benefit of 80(G) of IT Act to donors who will receive 50% of donation exempted under IT Act.
3. Col MK Veeramani and his team have been able to dispense Rs 1.25 lakhs as on date. I therefore request all members of TSEWA to spare some time and identify any beneficiary to whom financial assistance can be rendered. Then we are able to expend our charity budget by 31 Mar 2018. Your tasks in this regard are :-

(a)  Visit the location and identify the eligible beneficiary. Beneficiary can be an Ex-Serviceman or a widow of an Ex-Servicemen or even civilian.

(b)  You have to assess whether the beneficiary is in penury in that he or she is unable to lead a dignified life.  A widow of Havildar of Villipuram in Tamilnadu is left with 8 children to look after. A widow of Sepoy in Ahmedabad is left with five children. Such are the deserving cases who definitely need our financial support.

(c)    Educational Assistnce.  Some bright children from poor families are not able to go to Government schools. You can recommend such cases.

(d)   Medicare. Non – ECHS members and Civilians may need urgent medicare for life threatening diseases. They can be recommended.

(e)   Immediate Financial Help.  An Ex-Serviceman might die and his widow does not get her pension for any reason whatsoever. She definitely deserves monthly financial assistance till she is able to get her Ordinary Family Pension is sanctioned.

(f)   Non – Pensioner ESM.  Some Ex-Servicemen in their old age are not getting any pension as they did not serve Armed Forces for 15 years. Reservists are case in a point. They may not be looked after by their children. Such are the deserving cases. Sep Mathew of Kannur, Kerala is a living example.

(g)   Natural or Man Made Disasters. Some Ex-Servicemen or widows of ESM might have lost everything due to earth quakes, floods, fire accidents, road accidents or famines etc. They can be recommended.

4. The above list of beneficiaries in not exhaustive. We have about 35 crore people living below poverty line in our country who get just two square meals a day to eat. You can easily identify such people who are living nearby.
5. Your Action.We need to have proof of such a beneficiary as donors have to be satisfied that their donation has been used correctly. You may go to the place, take a photo or video with your mobile to see the condition of their livelihood like house and nearby surroundings. You may find out their approximate income from all sources, any property they have (which most of them do not have), the number of dependents the family head has to support etc. I need not tell you how you should assess as you know how to locate a deserving person.
6. Expenditure. Any expenditure you incur shall be reimbursed to you fully.
7. Correspondence.If you have located such a beneficiary do recommend how much financial assistance the beneficiary deserves. It should be as far as possible one time financial assistance. In certain deserving cases where studies or medical treatment spills over to next year or few years such cases can be recommended. Kindly send such cases to Col MK Veeramani or Cmde Sudheer Parakala or Hony Capt B Joseph of Charity Division. The details of Presidents of Zones, States, Districts, Metros are given in our TSEWA Blog at www..tsewa.org. You can contact them or me at any time.

Conclusion

8. You as a member of TSEWA should feel proud your organization is the only one amongst thousands of ESM Associations, to the best of my knowledge, in the country is doing some charitable activities. With you support, help and co-operation let TSEWA become biggest charitable organization in the times to come. I solicit your help in ensuring we expend our charity budget by 31 Mar 2018 and get blessings from those suffering people whom you can help financially.

Warm regards,

Brig CS Vidyasagar (Rtd)