Implementation of one-rank one-pension for ex-servicemen cannot be
done anytime soon, defence minister A K Antony said on Wednesday,
after members across party lines in Rajya Sabha demanded that the
government look into the grievances of retired military personnel.
A group of ex-servicemen has been staging public protests against
the government's failure to implement onerank one-pension scheme, and
on Sunday hundreds of them returned their medals to the President.
The ex-servicemen's demand is that all veterans should get the
same pension if they have retired in the same rank, irrespective of
when they retired. The reality is different. Whenever a pay commission
increases salaries and pension, it has only prospective effect. So the
gap in the pension of older retirees and their younger equivalent
keeps increasing with each pay commission. A soldier who retired
before December 31, 2005 gets significantly less pension than a
soldier who retired with the same experience in the same rank after
January 1, 2006.
Antony told Rajya Sabha, "At this time we cannot implement
one-rank one-pension, but we are nearing the goal. It is a long
process."
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