Can't hand over land to WB govt just like that: Army chief

, April 8:

Chief General Bikram Singh said on Sunday that the army could not hand over land to the

government just because the latter requested for it, said one report.

Speaking at a meeting of the retired army personnel at Barrackpore, General Singh said the Centre has some rules on land issues and the army had to abide by it. He said the general officer commandant was looking into the state government's request for land for the Ganga beautification project.

General Singh also praised the state government for cooperating with the retired army personnel.

The army chief had reached the RCTC ground, the venue of the second retired army personnel's meet in the state, around 10.30 am and around 5,000 retired armymen had gathered at the programme by then to hear the general say positive on their future well-being.

General Singh, the former chief of the Eastern Command, assured the audience but not many were convinced. For, the army chief had spoken to the Centre on increasing the pension of the retired army personnel but it was yet to be hiked.

General Singh said the condition of the economy was not in a perfect shape at the moment and hence the pension could not be increased now. However, he hoped that the issue would be given special attention under the next Pay Commission.

General Singh, who was on a three-day trip to Kolkata, also said that the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme would be consolidated further to improve the health service of the retired armymen.

OneIndia News