TNN, Aug 19, 2003, 07.33pm IST
NEW DELHI: Despite the government's earlier refusal to grant one-rank-one-pension to all ex-servicemen, the parliamentary standing committee on defence has once again recommended this measure to remove the "disparity" in pensionary benefits among pensioners of the same rank.
The committee also urged the government to set up a national commission for ex-servicemen on the lines of similar commissions for minorities and Scheduled Castes and Tribes.
Declaring that the nation "must repay its debt to the defendants of the motherland", the committee said many old soldiers were now struggling to survive on a paltry pension and asked the government to re-examine the two schemes for the ex-servicemen which had earlier been rejected.
In its 20th report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, the committee called for giving ex-servicemen insurance cover till death irrespective of their ranks and reservations for wards of servicemen in professional institutions.
Panel seeks one-rank-one-pension for ex-servicemen
NEW DELHI: With the prices of certain essential items such as rice, milk, fruits and vegetables continuing to rule high, food inflation crept up further to 17.65 per cent for the week ended April 10 from 17.22 per cent in the previous week. Fearing that the WPI (Wholesale Price Index)-based overall inflation — ruling at 9.9 per cent in March and well above its fiscal-end projection of 8.5 per cent — may shoot up further on account of the spill-over from food inflation, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday this week hiked the key policy rates to squeeze money supply and get a hold on the price spiral.Food inflation creeps up to 17.65 per cent
Status of OROP
The GOI is creeping slowly to bridge the Pension gap of ESM. The present inflation and cost of living makes sustenance difficult for about 20 lakh retired Sepoys, NCO's and JCO's. The ESM Welfare organisations manned by civilians are really money spinning agencies who seldom are involved in any welfare activity or assist in the employment of ESM. In fact they humiliate the ESM by employing them as security personnel on meagre wages adorning a comical attire as uniform. The security personnel are a mockery as they have no weapons to defend if attacked by goondas, criminals or terrorists. The rank and status of retired soldiers reduced to a caricature. The ESM Organisations should take up cudgels to fight the system bent on demeaning the soldier.
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