Dear Friends,
Press Note dated 23 Apr 2009 regarding IESM Advisory to All ex Servicemen for Coming Lok Sabha Elections is circulated herewith.
With regards,
Jai Hind
Yours Sincerely,
Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM
Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement
Mobile: 9312404269, 0124-4110570
Email: satbirsm@yahoo.com
Press Note Dated: 23 Apr 2009
IESM Advisory to All ex Servicemen for Coming Lok Sabha Elections
Dear Members of the Media,
1. The UPA Government has shown total apathy towards the defence personnel both serving and retired. Our genuine demands have not been accepted. One Rank One Pension (OROP) has been rejected by the Govt without any valid reasons. The demands of serving personnel projected by the Chiefs have also not been addressed. It has taken six months for the Govt to finally accept one of the four demands ie placing Lt Col Officers from PB – 3 to PB-4. Here also, the grade pay of Rs 8,000/- has been granted where as the grade pay of civilian counter parts is Rs 8,700/-. The other demands of Jawans of increase of weightage for pension from 50% to 70%, correcting the anomaly of placing DGP rank above the Lt Gen and granting same grade pay as the civilian counter part have not yet been accepted.
2. In view of the above and also that the Congress Party has not included grant of OROP in its manifesto, the Defence Personnel are unhappy, anguished and hurt at the ways the Govt has ill treated them. Their status has been further degraded and downgraded and they have been given raw deal in the fixation of their pay and allowances and pensions.
3. That the BJP and its alliance partners have categorically stated in their manifestos that OROP will be implemented. Accordingly, the IESM has issued an Advisory on 12 April 2009 during the Rally held at Jantar Mantar to all ESM of India to vote and support BJP and its alliance partners in the coming Lok Sabha Elections. This is one time support to the NDA and incase they do not honour their promises as mentioned in their manifestoes, IESM will launch strong protest Movement against them.
4. Col Bhag Singh belonging to IESL Punjab, an ESM organization has issued statement lending support to congress. It is intriguing that Col Bhag Singh having very well known that the UPA Govt has done grave injustice to the Defence Forces, has issued statement to support Congress Party. Such an action on his part smacks of his personnel consideration being given priority over the interest of the organization that he is representing (Ex Servicemen). We at the Indian Ex servicemen Movement (IESM) which is an Umbrella Organization for all ex servicemen of India, totally oppose this action of Col Bhag Singh President IESL Punjab and request all Ex-Servicemen of India not to take side with our own detractors ie the Congress.
With regards,
Jai Hind
Yours Sincerely,
Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM
Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement
