No “one rank-one pension” for Armymen
Rejecting a long-standing demand of ex-servicemen, the government today said it was not contemplating providing “one rank-one pension” to similarly placed officers and jawans after their retirement.Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju said the demand was “not found acceptable” due to administrative, financial and legal reasons.
Moreover, Raju said, the pensionary benefits of personnel below officer rank, particularly of the three ranks of Sepoy, Naik and Havildar have been significantly increased by increasing weightage from five years to ten, eight and six years respectively.
They were also allowed pension before January 1996 to be computed with reference to the maximum of the pay scale introduced from January 1, 1996.
With the Pay Commissions increasing the pay of armed forces and men every 10 years, the gap between the pension received by those who retired before the implementation of the respective commissions widened. Similarly placed retired officers (with same ranks and number of years of service) were receiving different amounts as pension, which has been opposed by lakhs of ex-servicemen all across the country and hence the demand from them for “one rank-one pension.”
another reply, Raju said the government had already received representations from ex-servicemen regarding their grievances against various recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission.
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