Ex-servicemen seek PM’s intervention on one rank,one pension

Hundreds of ex-servicemen,supported by civilians,held a protest in front of the district courts here on Friday and appealed to Prime Minster Manmohan Singh to intervene in implementation of the ‘one rank-one-pension’ scheme and ensure a separate pay commission for armed forces. Addressing the gathering,Capt C S Sidhu,co-convener of the joint panel of ex-servicemen and civilians said the Union government must correct the “anomalies” in pension norms. He said the Indian Army was the “most neglected in the world”,which might stop the youth from joining the force. M S Randhawa,another co-convener of the panel,appealed to the prime minister to implement the ‘one rank one pension’ scheme and institute a separate pay commission for armed forces on the pattern of Europe and the USA.