Splinter group on fast for JCOs, NCOs and jawans on issues like equalized MSP

NEW DELHI: A sizeable number of ex-servicemen has moved away from the main OROP agitation and joined another protest led by a body 'exclusively for soldiers who retired as jawans, junior commissioned officers (JCOs) and non-commissioned officers (NCOs)'.

True, senior officers leading the OROP stir are talking about problems jawans, JCOs and NCOs face, but their demands were mostly about fulfilling the needs of commissioned officers, the breakaway group claims.

"What about issues like equalized military service pay (MSP)? We jawans are always in the direct line of fire and face maximum threat to life in any conflict. But officers get higher remuneration on this account. The MSP for officers, military nursing services and JCOs other ranks are Rs 6,000, Rs 4,200 and Rs 2,000," Bir Bahadur Singh, national coordinator of the Voice of Ex-Servicemen Society (VESS) said. A jawan's family pension is a mere Rs 3,500 and it must be reviewed, Singh said.

At least four veterans who retired as jawans, hawaldar or subedar are on a parallel fast to press for their demands. "We have been protesting since August 23. A copy of our demands has been submitted to the PMO but there's no response. We haven't been involved in any meeting between the defence ministry and OROP protestors," said Hawaldaar (retired) Balwinder Singh.

Officers leading the main protest claim the group was propped by 'vested interests' to weaken their agitation.