Govt reduced Indian army's disability pension while jawans destroyed terror launchpads across LoC: Report

The Indian government reportedly reduced the Indian Army's disability pensions while the security forces were destroying terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) on September 28.

According to Business Standard's report, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) issued a letter on September 30 that dramatically reduced pensions for soldiers invalided out from the army after being crippled by battle injuries.

The report said that the disability pension has been slashed by Rs 18,000 a month. A young soldier invalided out of service would see his monthly pension slashed from Rs 45,200 to just Rs 27,200.

The report added that majors with 10 years of service had been hit even harder as their pension for 100% disability was slashed by over Rs 70,000 a month.

Speaking to the daily, a top serving general expressed disappointment and said,"Shocked is an understatement to describe what we feel. Instead of joining us in celebrating the strikes, the MoD has stabbed us in the back.”

The Army has been informed about the changes through a draft gazette notification issued by the “Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare” on September 30.

Seven terror launch pads across the LoC were targeted by the Indian Army on the night of September 28 in a nearly five-hour-long operation during which heli-borne and ground forces were deployed.

The announcement of the strikes came 11 days after the attack by Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad on an Indian army camp in Uri in Kashmir.