PM claim on army pension false: Advani

L K AdvaniSenior BJP leader L K Advani told party MPs Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s assertion that the government had implemented enhancement of pension of Army personnel had been contested by ex-servicemen.

Addressing the BJP Parliamentary Party, Advani said he had got a letter from Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) that “till today no jawan or JCO has received any orders for enhancement of pension”.

In response to the Singh-Advani spat on the issue of pension for soldiers, the Forum said no jawan or junior commissioned officer had got any order for enhancement of pension despite the government’s decision in July last year. Advani spoke to the forum office bearers after the PM’s retort to him to know the latest position on the pension.

Major General (retd) Sabir Singh, the forum’s vice-president, said the PM’s response to Advani’s remark — that Rs 2,100 crore earmarked for 1.2 million jawans and JCOs had been implemented — was not correct.

“The fact is, till today no Jawan or JCO has received any orders for the enhancement of pensions. Even the Service HQs where an inquiry was made has confirmed that orders for enhancement of pensions of JCO’S and jawans as announced by the government on July 6 have not been received.”

Senior BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu quoted Advani as telling the MPs that Singh should have studied the matter and then spoken about it.

Advani praised his party MPs for their performance in Parliament on cornering the government on price rise. He wanted the BJP to continue to put pressure on the government on the Kashmir issue and the alleged US “pressure” on India’s foreign policy matters.

“Advani said our complaints are not against the US but against our government’s tendency to bow under international pressure. The Saghir Ahmed report on autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir gives the impression that the government will buckle under pressure,” Naidu said.