Himachal Pradesh ex-servicemen took to the streets against the central government over pension anomalies.

Shimla: Yesterday, the anger of ex-servicemen across the state against the BJP-led Modi government in Himachal Pradesh has once again erupted over OROP-2. On this issue, State Congress Committee General Secretary and Spokesperson Devendra Bushahri said that Himachal Pradesh is also famous as the land of heroes along with being the land of gods. Here youth from every home, village and town consider it their first duty to protect the country on the borders by getting recruited in the army. But on the other hand, the BJP government at the Center is leaving no stone unturned to snatch away the rights of the soldiers and ex-servicemen who have laid down their lives on the borders, not only in the state but across the country. It is noteworthy that former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s Congress government has implemented One Rank One Pension scheme in 2013 for lakhs of ex-servicemen, brave women, widows of soldiers and their dependents, accepting the recommendations of ‘Koshiyari Commission’ passed in the Lok Sabha, and about 32 lakh ex-servicemen, dependents had provided huge relief to the families. But in 2014, on the OROP issue, the BJP government, after winning by making false promises to come to power, neither gave the real benefit of One Rank One Pension to lakhs of ex-servicemen, but changed its definition to One Rank Many Pension. By creating discrepancies in OROP-2 the pension of ex-servicemen, PBORs pension reduced . Which is also in violation of the order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court order that Protected Pension cannot be reduced. Due to this, all the ex-servicemen of the state and the country got agitated and came on the streets in all the districts of Himachal Pradesh also and submitted memorandum opposing the Modi government and demanded removal of these pension anomalies. Ex-servicemen warned that if their demands are not met, this movement will be intensified, for which the BJP government will be fully responsible.

Himachal Pradesh Congress strongly opposes reduction in pension of ex-servicemen, reducing recruitment quota of youth of Himachal Pradesh in military recruitment schemes bringing Agneepath, Agniveer recruitment scheme. The Congress party stands with all ex-servicemen, brave women, military widows and their families in getting their rights and while fully supporting all their legitimate demands, and asks from the central government that the BJP government seeking votes in the name of soldiers sacrifices but never fulfill their legitimate demands by doing so with ex-servicemen otherwise this country will never forgive them.