The announcement of new pension benefits for 12 lakh jawans and JCOs from July has brought cheer to ex-servicemen in Bangalore.
But they say it is not enough. For them, this revised pension was long overdue. The sixth pay commission had raised their pension, but many did not get it. Besides, they have other concerns.
Most of them remain jobless. Even those with jobs find it difficult to make ends meet.
“For the past 15 years, I’ve been drawing a pension of Rs4,800. However, that’s not enough to survive in an expensive city like Bangalore. My family is able to manage as I have a job. But most others are not so lucky. The government must ensure us of an alternate job if we quit,” said Rajiv Joshi, an ex-service man.
“After sacrificing our youth guarding the borders, we should not be ignored in our old age. Despite the announcement, I doubt whether I’ll get the pension raise soon. What we need, is a job,” said Gopinath KR, another ex-serviceman.
“It’s not enough that the government employs us. They should not post us afar. A person from south should not be posted in the north. We did enough of travelling and now want to be with our family,” said N Shivakumar, an ex-serviceman.
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