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Paramilitary veterans demand PM end “discrimination” on August 15
The vets threatened to protest if they were not granted the same tax relief, pensions, and hardship allowances as the Army.
An association of paramilitary veterans sent a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week urging him to mention in his Independence Day address the “discrimination and injustices” faced by both retired and current officials of the Central Armed Police Forces.
The group, called the Confederation of Ex-Paramilitary Forces Welfare Association, listed other demands. They asked the government to exempt Central Police Canteens from paying the GST, which was done in the case of retail stores for India’s defence forces. According to the Association, there are some 1700 canteens across the country that lakhs of troops and their families rely on.
Other demands included the establishment of the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme for military personnel, the restoration of the pre-2004 pension program that included benefits for paramiltary servicemen, and the institution of hardship allowances, which currently are available only to the defence forces.
The Association was established in 2016. This year, they have already held five demonstrations in a variety of states. Their most recent protest occurred at Delhi’s Rajghat on August 9. In the memorandum to Modi, the Association threatened a demonstration at Jantmar Mantar from December 5 onward if their demands were not met.
“We have sacrificed so much for our country,” said Ranbir Singh, the group’s general secretary. “The least this government can do is to heed to some of our basic demands, such as OROP or the old pension scheme. Those appointed after 2004 will not be receiving pension. Will this not effect the morale of our forces?”
