The Indian Ex-Servicemen League has warned the Centre of serious consequences in case lower pensions were brought into effect before the Lok Sabha polls. The league unanimously resolved to apprise the Central Government that before 2006,ex-servicemen up to the rank of havildar and equivalent and their widows,have been virtually crushed by the Sixth Central Pay Commission. The government has granted a minimum pension of Rs 3,500 per month,for both civilian and defence personnel,like earlier pay commissions when there was no Military Service Pay (MSP) for defence personnel. The Sixth Central Pay Commission has approved Rs 2,000 as MSP as for the lowest rank in defence (exclusively for soldiers),the minimum pension of Rs 3,500 granted to pensioners is not justified,said league president Prabhjot Singh. It should have been,at least,Rs 1,000 or more than the civilian pensioners which comes out to be Rs 4,500 per month for defence pensioners.
