Monday, February 22, 2016
Tribune News Service
Patiala, February 21
The State Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association (SEWA), Punjab, organised an
“Insaf Rally” at the Anaj Mandi here. Various ex-servicemen
organisations from Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand took part in the
rally.
The ex-servicemen said they were aggrieved at the apathetic attitude of
the government towards One Rank One Pension (OROP) as passed by the
Parliament.
“Truncated OROP has been implemented denying justice to their rightful
demands. There is a huge gap between the minimum and maximum pay and
pension of the men in uniform. There is an urgent need to raise the pay
and pension of lower rank defence personnel,” the ex-servicemen said.
Col Kuldip Singh Grewal (retd), president, State Ex-Servicemen Welfare
Association, said after recruitment, soldiers had to undergo military
training and professional training before being fit for battle. Even
after attaining professional skills, they are equated with Class IV
employees in government offices in terms of pay and pension.
“Widows of pensioners who after putting in a few years of service are
discharged on medical grounds are placed on minimum pension i.e. Rs
3,500, which is too little to sustain their living,” he said.
Addressing the ex-servicemen, who came from several parts of North
India, Grewal said: “Danger to life is same for all ranks. So, there is a
need to raise minimum military service pay of jawans”.
Others who spoke on the occasion said the next of kin of those soldiers
who attain martyrdom in battle or insurgency should be adequately
compensated monetarily in equitable manner irrespective of rank.
The anomalies existing in the OROP, which is implemented vide government
notification issued in November last, should be corrected without
wasting more time to end the ongoing agitations by the ESM community.
“Charts notified by the PCDA (Pension) have numerous discrepancies,
which need to be rectified,” said the speakers, adding that either the
soldiers should be allowed to serve till 60 years of age or their
pension should be fixed at the top of the pay band.