Army veterans strongly condemn Six Pay Commission's recommendation

Jammu, Apr 19 (UNI) The Army veterans today strongly condemned the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission and said the report submitted to the government was ''nothing but a joke'' with the servicemen, particularly the Gaurav Sainanis.

Addressing an ex-servicemen rally organised by Army's 26 division at Sunjwan here, the veteran officers expressed dismay over the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission.

Expressing concern over shortage of officers in the services, Lt Gen (retd) Anup Singh Jamwal said, ''the pay commission has done nothing to make the armed forces attractive for the youth.'' Terming the increasing trend of volunteer retirements and subsequent thinning of officers at Major and Lt Col ranks in the three services as a ''national problem'', Lt Gen Jamwal sought immediate action of the Centre to look into the grievances of veteran soldiers.

Asserting that the ''morale is the better winning factor,'' ex-servicemen league's chairman Maj Gen (retd) G S Jamwal said the recommendations of the pay commission had demoralised the troops.

Dissatisfied over the way Jammu and Kashmir government had recognised soldiers' service to the nation, he said many burning demands of the Gaurav Sainanis (retired soldiers) had been ignored.

''One demand of increase in annuity of gallantry medal winners at par with Himachal Pradesh government has been addressed, that also after the ex-servicemen took out a silent protest march in the state,'' Maj Gen Jamwal said.

He called upon the veterans to join in unison the ''struggle to get the past glory and respect for services to the nation''.

UNI VJ KS GL KP1718