Other States - Punjab   

Ex-Servicemen hold protest rally in Jalandhar

Jalandhar: After the opposition of the report of 6th Pay Commission by all the three forces’ Chiefs, Ex-servicemen of Punjab on Sunday held a protest rally here at War Memorial and demanded separate Pay Commission for the defence forces.

“Ex-Servicemen have no confidence in the so-called empowered committee, even if an odd person from the military is added to it. Only constitution of separate Pay Commission can resolve the anomalies in the pay commission’s report”, Brig K S Kahlon, president of the Ex-Servicemen Wing of ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) said while addressing the protestors.

It was highly deplorable that in spite of Prime Minister’s assurance that armed forces would be suitably compensated and even instructed to appoint a special committee for the purpose, but on the contrary, Union Finance Minister P Chidambram category ruled out constitution of any separate pay commission for the defence forces.

The government must constitute either a separate pay commission or an Armed Forces Pay Review Board (AFPRB), with a serving member each from the three services and one retired person among others to resolve the issue once for all, he demanded adding that the AFPRB should complete its task expeditiously to extend the financial relief to the armed forces at the earliest.

Apart from constitution of separate pay commission, Ex-Servicemen also demanded “One Rank One Pension”, as whenever pay and pension of service personnel are enhanced, older pensioners are left out in the cold, Lt Gen S S Sangra said. - PTI

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Ex-Servicemen hold protest rally in Jalandhar
Alarming fall in Punjab groundwater levels

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu