Title: Demand of Ex-servicemen for “One Rank One Pension” Scheme.
DR. COL. (RETD.) DHANI RAM SHANDIL (SHIMLA): Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to draw the attention of this august House to a very important issue regarding one-rank-one-pension which is pending with the Government for a long time. The moot point is, there is a disparity in the pension being drawn by those who retired prior to April, 1979 and those who are retiring now and this has caused a lot of resentment across the nation among our ex-Servicemen who gave their best years for the cause of motherland. Successive Governments have promised action, but somehow nothing happened. Now, the ex-Servicemen have raised this point very emphatically. They are of the view that a Defence Force pensioner, irrespective of his date of retirement, should get the same length of service and whenever pensions are revised the same should be applicable automatically with prospective effect to the existing pension.
Similarly, all types of pensions, whether family pension, widow pension etc., whenever raised should automatically be applicable in the same manner as it is applicable to the judges of High Courts and the Supreme Court and also hon. Members of Parliament. Then, a statutory commission on the lines of the National Commission for Women, SC/ST Commission and Minority Commission should also report every year to the Parliament on this issue. As a retired defence personnel myself, I would like to request, through you, the hon. Finance Minister, who is sitting here, the Defence Minister and the Central Government to please pay particular attention to this aspect. It is not a very big deal. We have worked on it. I think it is just about Rs. 300 crore which can be given to them. It will raise the morale of our defence personnel. Those who were not joining the Armed Forces will now join with a lot of incentives and it will be in the interest of our nation.