NEW DELHI: Hoping to woo voters from among serving and retired armed forces personnel, the BJP on Sunday expressed concern over the UPA
government’s neglect of the ex-servicemen’s demand of “one rank one pension”.
Ex-servicemen have been vehemently opposing the recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission since it was implemented by the government and even launched a nationwide agitation in protest against the move, party president Rajnath Singh pointed out in a statement.
With the Pay Commission recommending increase in the salaries of the armed forces every 10 years, the gap between the pension received by those who retired before the implementation of the respective commissions has widened and would further complicate the situation, he said.
“It is the prime responsibility and duty of the government to sincerely consider the problems faced by the ex-servicemen as every serving soldier today is an ex-serviceman tomorrow,” Singh said.
Issues like “one rank one pension”, resettlement of veterans, formation of a separate commission for ex-servicemen, compensation for war-disabled and early retirement need to be addressed on a priority basis, Singh said.
Unfortunately, the present dispensation did not feel the pain of ex-servicemen when they were forced to return their most precious possession, their medals, which they had earned while serving the country, he added.
Extending support to the ex-servicemen, the BJP chief assured them that the party would consider their concerns by including their demand of “one rank one pension” in the NDA manifesto and ensure that a satisfactory solution is found at the earliest if it came to power.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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