STATE TIMES NEWS
VIJAYPUR: Former Minister and JKPCC General Secretary Manjit Singh on Thursday appealed government to include thousands of ex-soldiers who have been deprived of pension benefits under one-rank-one-pension.
To express their resentment against the partial policy of the Modi Government, the ex-soldiers led by former minister Manjit Singh assembled here outside the SDM Vijaypur’s office and staged a demonstration. The protesters demanded equal pension benefits for them like other soldiers.
Speaking before the protesters, Manjit Singh criticised Modi Government for its false promises made during the parliamentary election that these left out soldiers would be treated equally with other soldiers regarding pension benefits.
However, no such benefit was given to them. “Thousands of soldiers were recruited from Jammu and Kashmir to fight wars with China, and Pakistan. They were the part of 1962 war with China, 1965 war and 1971 war with Pakistan. Many of them were martyred for the country. But Government now has ignored these soldiers,” alleged Manjit Singh. JKPCC general secretary said that after the war time period, they were sent to their respective houses and left to the mercy of God. “They are getting nominal pension from the Government while their colleagues who are retiring from military getting more pension benefits which are not given to these soldiers,” he said.
“These soldiers are always treated as extra and called whenever need arrives but not treated like other soldiers in military,” he expressed concern.
