”I am on your side. I understand your concerns. You give your life for the country, I will do all that I can to see that your demands are met,” Gandhi had told a gathering of 1000-odd ex-servicemen during an interaction on February 14.
Delegations of ex-servicemen from Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab had met Gandhi.
Ex-servicemen and families of serving defence personnel are an electorally important vote bank especially in these states.
'One rank, one pension' scheme will ensure that soldiers of the same rank and the same length of service receive the same pension, irrespective of their retirement date. Hailing the decision, Union Minister Rajiv Shukla said, ”It is a good decision. It should be appreciated. It was taken following the initiative taken by Rahul Gandhi in the matter.”
