News coverage in Times of India.

Dear Veterans,
Regards. Find below the News of Press Conference dt. 27-09-2009 as covered by Times of India dt. 28-09-2009.
Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.


Indian Ex-Services League
seeks better deal
for Havildars
Patiala: The Indian Ex-servicesLeague,Punjab and
Chandigarh, the oldest and non-political body of ex-
servicemen, has sought a better deal for havildars
and sub-majors of Army from the Centre.
In its detailed memorandum faxed to defence
minister AKAntony,the league has asked the government
to change .the pay-band for havildars and
equivalent ranks from PB-Ito PB-IIand for sub-majors
and equivalent ranks from PB-II to PB-III, as
the sixth pay commission has not done justice with
them.
The league stressed that "soldiers of the rank
of havildar were the real back-bone of defence forces
and Sub-majors acted as chief executor of a strategy
in the war". These two ranks have been virtually
crushed by the partial recommendations of the
~ Sixth Central Pay Commission. "Havildars have
been equated ti classIV employees ie Mali,Chowkidars and Safai sewaks etc.as far as pay is concerned," alleged Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal, PLS (retd) president of the league.
The league has asked the minister to immediately
release orders for promised "one rank onepension"
for junior commissioned officers, senior noncommissioned
officers, non-commissioned officersand other ranks that was announced by the Finance minister in Union Budget on July 6,and then by the minister himself in Parliament and finally by the
Prime Minister on Independence Day,but the orders
regarding the same have not been issued so far. It
has requested the government to fulfIl the demands
of veterans at the earliest, failing which they would
take to street.
TNN