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.
This is not new in INDIA. Please read the book "THOUSAND YEAR SLAVERY". There is a chapter which deals with the treatment of soldiers in our country for centuries.
ReplyDeleteMr Modi and Parrikar think that Armed Forces means guns, tanks, aircrafts, submarines, ships and such equipment. We veterans are fighting to impress upon them that men are required to operate those war machines and they require a bold and generous heart to sacrifice their lives in the process. But they fail to understand why majority of them live to claim OROP now. Besides scrapping the PMR, on retirement they may propose an novel idea, the 'euthanasia' to those surviving and retiring soldiers/airmen and the sailors. With that, the pension burden in future will be lessened once for all.
ReplyDeleteWhy 'euthanesia' when there is a better argument.Father of the Nation Ghandhi was an exserviceman. He has taken part in the War in South Africa. He has never asked for "One rank one pension". Follow him and forget about the pension.
DeleteDear sir anonymous,
DeleteGandhi worked in south africa as a supporting force to heal the wounded soldier through red cross, here we are poor people joined the army to earn our livelihood. do not compare and contrast mahathma no one equate his service and sacrifices rendered by mahathma to the cause of mankind and human, we are ordinary soldiers having own family and children, how we can sacrifice our OROP
Mr Anonymous27 February 2016 at 08:52, you are rewriting the history with your GK. MAHATMA GANDHI never served any Army. He was a lawyer who fought for civil rights of blacks in SA.
DeleteMAHATHMA GANDHI did served in South African
DeleteArmy in Boers war. His rank was stretcher bearer.He did receive an award from British Government for his service.
Mr anonymous you seems to be unaware of army AF &navy . you are able write a blog only due to their sacrifice
DeleteThe minimum pension of a PBOR must be equivalent to minimum wages recommended by the 7CPC and should not be based on a percentage of the last pay drawn. For JCOs and Officers the current pension fixation as per the OROP tables with corrections where pointed out by the ESM. IF THE PBOR pension is not improved from its present lower standards, then it will be gross injustice.
ReplyDeleteAgain Mr. MP has shown his conce rns 4 orop 2 offrs alone. D cause of d JCO/OR not worried abt & refers 2 in d letter 2 DM.
ReplyDeleteMy BANK BANK OF MAHARASHTRA is going to pay first instalment of OROP arrears in second week of march 2016
ReplyDeleteWe call our self as a separate community in INDIA. But when a great injustice is done to India in the name of Ex-Servicemen we never bother. We always talk about OROP and pension. What happened when "ADARSH SCANDAL" happened. Every trick was used using Exservicemen and KARGIL.Any ex servicemen organisation protested.
ReplyDeleteLet us all think about it. Why babus and natas treat us so babdly?