The Armed Forces are unhappy over the dilly dallying tactics of the government

From Today's News Papers - 8.Feb.09 Ex-servicemen protest over pension parity; return medals

New Delhi, Feb 08: A large number of ex-servicemen, including General rank officers, today returned their medals to the Government protesting the non-implementation of their demand for "one rank, one pension" (OROP) principle.

Alleging that a "raw deal" was given to the armed forces by the Sixth Pay Commission, the ex-servicemen, who also included Colonels, held a demonstration here and sent their medals to President Pratibha Patil, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. They also threatened to emerge as a "potential votebank" and contest elections to teach the "politicians and bureaucrats" a fitting lesson.

"We handed over all the medals of the ex-servicemen who participated in today's protest to an official of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The medals were in thousands," Lt Gen Raj Kadyan, chairman of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement, said. He termed the protest by the ex-servicemen as an "unparallelled" and "unfortunate" development in the country.

"A soldier devotes the best years of his life to the country. When he retires, his medals are his most prized possession. These are a proud record of his contribution to keeping the country safe and united," Lt Gen Raj Kadyan, who is set to return his Param Vhishst Seva Medal (PVSM) and other medals, said.

The former military-men said they were "forced" to come out to the streets by the successive governments to meet their demands and get justice. Apart from the 'one rank one pension', their demands include constitution of 'Services Commission' with due representation from the armed forces.

"Our other demand is that when problems related to ex-servicemen are discussed, the defence people should have a bigger say. The bureaucrats do not know anything about the Army," said Col (Retd) M S Krishna Moorthy, who had served in the World War-II, Burma and Indian mission to Nepal and Congo. Col Chaturvedi, who had served the country in many wars, said pension is a deferred wage and it is a payment for services already rendered.

"Therefore, logic and equity demand that two individuals rendering equal service, both in terms of quantum and quality, must receive equal pension," he said. The former army men and officers accused the Congress-led UPA of not implementing the legitimate demand of 'one rank one pension' despite having included in the Congress manifesto during the last Parliamentary elections. "Not only the Congress Government, even the BJP-led NDA Government failed to solve our problems.

The successive governments have forced the army men to come to the streets," Col Kanwar Bhardwaj, who will return his 'Sena' medal to the President, said.

Courtesy: Zee News

Comments

Unknown said…
Hi friends,
You find retired Army Officers return their medals because their demand for "ONE RANK ONE PENSION" has not yet been implemented by the UPA govt.
These elite class of army officers say that bureaucrats do not know the problems of army officers, hence, the pay commission for the defence services should be constituted by them.

Dear army officers! I think you all know that one more clause was burped in the VIth pay commission that POBORs in Defence services will be eligible for pension @ 70% of their basic pay (pay in band+grade pay+MSP+Gp X Pay). But you, the leaders of the PBORs, do not bother to represent their (PBORs) case of implementing the pension @ 70% of Basic Pay in spite of knowing that there is NIL representation of PBORs in national forum.
Hence, my sincere request to all the retired defence service officers, please represent the problems of your subordinate soldiers too alongside yours, keeping in mind that they too sacrificed their precious period of lives in protecting their motherland INDIA.
JAI HIND.

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