The veterans came down only after officials told them their “charter of demands” had been sent to the defence ministry and that the defence minister will be holding talks with the ex-servicemen community in the next two weeks. (JS Grewal/HT Photo)
High drama was witnessed in the city’s Railway Colony area on Friday as four ex-servicemen climbed atop an overhead water tank and threatened to jump, as a deadlock between the central government and veterans over the One Rank, One Pension scheme continues.
Harbhal Singh, Pargat Singh, Gurdial Singh and Kartar Singh, all residents of Tarn Taran district, remained on the tank for 16 hours, prompting the police to deploy more than two dozen policemen at the spot. In a scene reminiscent of the Bollywood blockbuster Sholay, the four ex-servicemen, who had climbed the tank at 2 am, warned that they would jump at 6pm as frantic civil and police officials spent hours trying to persuade them to come down.
Harbhal Singh, Pargat Singh, Gurdial Singh and Kartar Singh, all residents of Tarn Taran district, remained on the tank for 16 hours, prompting the police to deploy more than two dozen policemen at the spot. (JS Grewal/HT Photo)
The veterans came down only after officials told them their “charter of demands” had been sent to the defence ministry and that the defence minister will be holding talks with the ex-servicemen community in the next two weeks. The four ex-servicemen are members of the Voice of Ex-Servicemen Society, which has been demanding equal pension benefits for defence personnel irrespective of the rank.
The ex-servicemen society comprises retired junior commissioned officers and non-commissioned officers from across the country. Its national coordinator and secretary general, Bir Bahadur Singh, said the society has been demanding that pension benefits, including the disability and widow pension, be given equally to all personnel of one rank.
Police officials talking to the ex-servicemen. (JS Grewal/HT)
‘Issue hijacked’
The society’s demands also include transparency in grant of bravery medals, besides allotment of security agency licenses and release of sepoys lodged in Pakistani jails. Bahadur Singh also blamed the high ranking ex-servicemen of having “hijacked” the One Rank, One Pension slogan.
Punjab has more than three lakh ex-servicemen, mostly junior personnel such as sepoys, lance nayaks, havildars, seamen and airmen from the army, the navy and the air force. “The OROP slogan was originally given by junior personnel who struggle in service and even after retirement to make both ends meet,” Bahadur Singh said.
“85% of the junior rank employees in the forces retire after 17-20 years of service, and their survival later becomes an issue.”
(Source - Via e-mail from Clarence G Manickam)
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I think this kind of unacceptable behaviour is going way beyond all acceptable norms for a soldier. Is this is the only way to protest unless this was all a joke and only to attract attention. Please getting OROP risking life of vets is in no way acceptable. Life is precious
ReplyDeleteDear Veterans
ReplyDeleteIn the subject as per above our veterans had climbed at on water tank with some demand and soon creation of OROP. The subject had clearly take up 'DISABILITY PENSION SHOULD BE EQUAL TO ALL ALL RETIREES'' top to bottom Each and every rank holder personnel's ‘Due to Sickness and DISABILITY could not be separate/differed between officers & Jco /Ors .
1-As per Earlier Matrix table of disability pension Rs 3510 to 27000 lower to Higher rank holder personnel. As per report of 5''th commission Rs 1550 had hiked been up to Rs 3510 only slightly more over 2 times Spite for officers had hiked been Rs 2600 to Rs 27000 only much more 2 times than another. So that anomalies & difference amount had found much more gap between Officers & jco/ jawan. Anybody may be Attention at on our logic and our valuable points of DISABILITY ELEMENT 'Why should differed/separate between top to bottom for each ranks.
Any Rank holder have injured during operation while on duty/ or disability had prove been by Medical board in account of ''Attributable and Aggrieved during /by military service along with same value and % of Disability Element'' has provided to such officers & Soldiers' Why should separate disability amount pay to officers and other for JAWAN' Because Service Element and SERVICE Pension are already paying to all personnel's as per ''RANK WISE'' irrespective length of service. Hence Disability Element should not be allowed and variation as per Rank wise. In this connection a one request letter has already been sent to MoD/RM/PM for reconsideration a valuable and strong points on base of logic please. As per Recommendation of 7th CPC Disability Element ’’ has fixed as per current rate’ But our officers want now Much more equalized a Matrix of IAS and counterpart of Civil Central government. Hence must required Equalized’’ Disability Element’’ and Should be fixed ‘’ lump Sum’’ Amount for each and every Disabled Personnel’s.Who will fight for jaw- an/soldiers.
G.S UPADHYAY EX NK GM-WORKS TATA MOTORS PCBU ALLAHABAD 9670210000
Of Late, there is a trend among lower ranks in the service community to compare everything with the officers and project a case for more hike at par or equal to officers. This trend is increasingly prevalent in armed forces personnel and very less in PMF or CPO or Police Forces.Divisive forces, why cant they delink from officers and fight a case separately on their own and who stops them from doing so.
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