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Badal seeks Kalam, Manmohan's help

Staff Correspondent

Asked to speed up action on ex-Servicemen issue

CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal president Parkash Singh Badal has sought immediate intervention by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to stop "harassment and humiliation'' of disabled ex-Servicemen who have been seeking parity between Regular (PRC) and Emergency Commissioned officers (ECO) in pension and other benefits.

"These heroes made unheard of sacrifices in the prime of their youth so that all of us could live with honour and in freedom. The family of each and every soldier is a national asset and their care is the sacred national responsibility for every citizen and every Government'', Mr. Badal said in identical letters seeking personal audiences with the President and the Prime Minister. Urging Dr. Kalam and Dr. Singh to speed up action so that the ex-soldiers could be dissuaded from resorting to extreme measures at Amar Jawan Jyoti, New Delhi, on July 26, Mr. Badal said that it was painful to see "unspeakable disrespect and indifference'' heaped on these brave patriots by bureaucrats.

"These heroes successfully fought foreign aggressors in 1965, 1971 and other wars only to be defeated at home by the arrogance of Governments,'' he lamented.

Mr. Badal demanded implementation of court orders as well as the directives of Army Headquarters which clearly stated that "if the disability suffered by Emergency Commission officers is assessed at 80 per cent or above, the rate of service element would be the same as might have been admissible had they been PRC officers. Where the disability is more than 20 per cent but less than 80 per cent, the rate of service element will be 75 per cent of the rate applicable to Permanent Commissioned Officers''.

He said it was a national shame that the soldiers had to agitate for years to get legitimate Government directives and court orders implemented. This, according to him, was the reason why the Army had fallen short of officers by as much as 12,000 as on date. "Our treatment of our ex-soldiers is the greatest de-motivating factor for youth to join the Army," he said. Mr. Badal has directed all Akali MPs to raise the issue during the current session of Parliament.

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Badal seeks Kalam, Manmohan's help

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