‘Illegal, draconian’: Ex-servicemen body on defence ministry’s new entitlement rules
Demanding withdrawal of the rules and terming them an assault on the dignity of disabled soldiers and future widows, in a press release issued on Thursday, AIEWA chairperson Bhim Sen Sehgal said the ministry was trying to destroy the existing benefits being extended
The All India Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association (AIEWA) has alleged that the Union defence ministry’s new entitlement rules for Casualty Pensionary Awards, 2023, have illegalities and draconian provisions.
Demanding withdrawal of the rules and terming them an assault on the dignity of disabled soldiers and future widows, in a press release issued on Thursday, AIEWA chairperson Bhim Sen Sehgal said the ministry was trying to destroy the existing benefits being extended. He said other ministries and departments were constantly working towards expanding the scope and benefits to citizens, employees and pensioners, who were disabled or suffering from other medical conditions.
“The new rules supersede all existing provisions. It is illegal as the provisions existing till now had remained the same in spirit since the 1940s and had been altered for the advantage of disabled soldiers and widows over the years,” he said.
“It is also seen that a wedge is being created between officers and jawans by saying that percentage-wise, more officers are released with a disability when compared to jawans. The data and figures of persons in the armed forces granted disability pensions in the last few years also seems manipulated,” the statement alleged.
The association said there were hundreds of regressive changes made in the rules, requesting that the public be made fully aware of the truth about the move by officers who had “misguided political leaders, government and public”. They may project that such a disastrous move will save money, but what will be lost in this will be the love, respect and blessings of millions of people of this country, the ex-servicemen added.