By Lt Col B M Thapa (Retd)
Dehradun, 31 Aug: Padma Sibal, wife of late Col Prem Kumar Sibal (Retd), lost her husband on 26 March, 2020, when he was 93 years old. An outstanding officer of the Indian Army, Col Sibal was commissioned in the 2/8 Gorkha Rifles in 1945 when the 2nd World War was on. The two were married in 1958. Col Prem took premature retirement in 1971 and become a Bharat Petroleum dealer in Srinagar and owned two petrol stations there.
In 1992, they moved to Doon Valley and were the first to build a boutique house at Vasundhara on the picturesque old Mussoorie Road. The well designed house was kept nicely decorated.
Col Prem had a great sense of humour, was a sincere social worker and was fond of reading books and newspapers, including the Garhwal Post. At a later age, he developed prostate cancer but his wife looked after him well during the time he remained incapacitated.
Due to COVID-19, most of the offices were closed and it was difficult to pursue pension cases during that period, including this one, but senior veterans advised Padma to seek help from me as Senior Vice President of Dehradun Ex-Services League (DESL). She visited me during the second week of June, 2020, to pursue her pension case. I immediately took up the case with all authorities concerned and personally chase up the file from CDA(P) to DPDO and finally succeeded in getting her arrears and pension in her bank account in the last week of August. Those who helped her in obtaining her pension were Col Dinesh Gaur, Col Vet, Sudhakar Kandpal CDA(P), Virendra Bhakuni, Manager, SBI Jakhan, and DS Rawat, OIC, DPDO, Dehradun.
Their only son, Dr Anupam, who was born in 1968 and is now Group Medical Director, Apollo Hospital Group, is one of the most famous and respected medical professionals in the country, presently stationed in New Delhi.
Padma is now 86 years old, a very active social worker and helpful lady, who expresses her gratitude to all those who helped in pursuing her pension case, which she received in record time.
