Plea in SC seeks removal of disparity in pension benefits to armed forces

New Delhi, October 21

A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking removal of disparity in pension benefits to the armed forces personnel under the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Defence.       

The plea filed by Humara Desh Humare Jawan­Trust contended that the new contributory pension scheme was launched by the Centre and took effect from January 1, 2004. Through a notification on January 1, 2004, government made the pension scheme contributory, to be deducted from salary of the employee.

“Central government is applying a hybrid pension scheme which is a mixture of old and new pension schemes to the personnel of Armed forces which came under the MHA and who joined the service after January 1, 2004,” the petition says.

“But it is specifically provided that this new contributory pension scheme is not applicable to the armed forces of Union of India,” said the plea, filed through advocate Ajay K Agrawal.

The PIL stated that for the forces which come under MHA such as BSF CISF CRPF ITBP, NSG, SSB and Assam Rifles, a clarification was issued on August 6, 2004, that all these are Armed Forces of the Union under the ministry.

It said that each and every personnel of Armed forces which comes under the MHA wants to get pension under the old scheme but the central government has denied it, “therefore discriminating with the armed forces under the Ministry of Defence while both the forces are Armed Forces of the Union”, the plea said.

Even after several representations nothing has been done by the government, the plea said. PTI