Bangalore: Arguing for resolving the legitimate and long pending demand by Armed Forces veterans for One Rank, One Pension, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Member of Parliament, in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh communicated his decision to decline the salary hike until the government re-examines the issue of One Rank, One Pension.
He asked the Prime Minister to take a sympathetic and compassionate view on this long standing demand of One Rank, One Pension.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar said while the Government was quick to offer generous salary hikes to MPs but was needlessly dragging its feet on the long pending demands of the ex-servicemen. The actions of the Government send very misleading and somewhat dangerous signals to the people that there are two sets of standards in this country - that public service and duty to nation as, exemplified by the Armed Forces veterans, are secondary to political expediency and politics, he added.
Saying that his action as Independent Member of Parliament may not amount to much, and in the kind of politics being practiced today, Chandrasekhar hoped there are people in the government and in the political system who value ideals and principles and will deem his letter worthy of response.
Source: India Syndicate