More schemes to be launched for benefit of ex-servicemen: Pon Radhakrishnan, Union Minister

COIMBATORE: The Centre will talk to state governments for providing job opportunities to servicemen who retire at an early age, Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan said today.

The minister said he will take up the issue with state governments which have reserved some percentage for ex-servicemen in government jobs after he was told that jawans who retire early, at the age of 30-35 years, often find it difficult to secure a job.

Stating that the Narendra Modi government has already announced the 'One Rank, One Pension' scheme for the benefit of ex-servicemen, Radhakrishnan declared that the prime minister would come out with more welfare schemes for them.

He was talking to reporters on the sidelines of the 28th anniversary celebrations of the Coimbatore Ex-servicemen and Widows Welfare Society here.

On Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi holding a fast in Hyderabad over the Dalit scholar suicide issue, the minister said he was "moving without any direction".

The opposition party is desperate as it is unable to find any grounds to attack the Modi government and is hence trying to tarnish its image by raising non-issues, the minister claimed.

Earlier, at a press conference ahead of the visit by the prime minister here on February 2, Radhakrishnan said Modi will continue to rule for the coming 15 years.

Asked about the upcoming Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, Radhakrishnan said BJP has not not yet reached the stage where it has to beg other parties for an alliance.