For the sake of the country’s security, retired Short Service Commission officers, who were part of the 1965 and 1971 wars, are now wandering for their rights. To get pension and medical benefits, they had meeting with the Defense Minister and the Army Chief, but the interaction is yet to yield any results.
In a press conference organized at the Chandigarh Press Club, Captain Jaspal Singh and Captain RK Bharadwaj and other Ex Servicemen said that after serving 5 years in the Army, they found out they are not entitled to all pension and medical benefits. Rather, rules still qualified them as civilians, because of which they cannot be entitled to all these benefits. Two meetings each with Army Chief, General Bipin Rawat and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman have been in vain. A meeting with PM Narendra Modi is their last hope, to receive the benefits.
They further stated that there are quite a number of retired SSC officers who also won Gallantry Awards like Param Vir Chakra, Veer Chakra, and Ashok Chakra etc. Captain Jaspal Singh said that he has been badly hurt by fighting for the right of his benefits. “We are struggling very hard to secure our rightful benefits, but no one is bothering to take our demands seriously,” Captain Jaspal Singh.