Jawans suffering ‘colossal’ loss of pension, says study

New Delhi, Dec. 3: A paramilitary jawan, guarding borders or tackling Naxals in inhospitable conditions, is suffering a “colossal” loss of more than `5 crore in his retirement funds since the government stopped regular pension to the troops in 2004 and brought them under the National Pension Scheme, a new study on the financial health of these personnel has said.

The research-based study, conducted by a senior paramilitary officer, finds that a soldier of the Central Armed Police Forces — like the Border Security Force (BSF), the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the IndoTibetan Border Police (ITBP), and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) — are at a “considerable disadvantage” under the NPS as these men and women in uniform have been clubbed with their civilian counterparts despite performing duties as challenging as that by the defence forces.

These forces and associations of ex-CAPFs personnel have been demanding the restoration of the old pension to these jawans for several years, citing their work life, which is arduous, disturbed and challenging.

“A constable of the BSF, CRPF, ITBP and SSB is at a loss of more than `5 crore (`5,18,36,567) in just three years of difference, by the time another central government employee or a constable of the CISF or Assam Rifles turns 60,” the comparison between the old pension scheme and the NPS, done as part of the study.

The study has been conducted by a BSF secondin-commandrank officer, Neeraj Lakhanpal, during his stint with the Border Management and Strategic Studies. — PTI Hospital in Ahmedabad. He will address four more rallies on Monday at Dharampur in Valsad, Bhavnagar, Junagadh and Jamnagar in Saurashtra.

Mr Modi said the party made “one caste fight with the other, one religion fight with another”. “They keep you busy in fighting with each other. You may die but the Congress will eat malai (cream),” he said, launching a broadside against the Opposition party apparently for having an alliance with caste leaders like Hardik Patel, Jignesh Mevani and Alpesh Thakor ahead of the Gujarat elections. He then said “all these diseases were cured” in Gujarat when BJP came to power.

A CONSTABLE of the BSF, CRPF, ITBP and SSB is at a loss of more than `5 crore in three years of difference, by the time another central government employee or a constable of the CISF or Assam Rifles turns 60, says study.