Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday said a committee under the cabinet secretary has not recommended one-rank-one-pension scheme for retired defence personnel.
“The factual position is that we have constituted a committee under the cabinet secretary to look in into issue of one-man-one-pension and other related matters. The committee did not recommend one-man-one-rank-pension,” Manmohan Singh said in the Lok Sabha.
The prime minister's remarks came after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani accused him of breaching parliamentary propriety by making “false” claims over the scheme.
“But whatever recommendations the committee made to substantiate and enhance the pensionary benefits of persons below officer rank and commissioned officers were accepted by the government. This is what I have stated in my Independence Day speech,” Manmohan Singh added.
The prime minister said of the seven recommendations the committee made, five have been implemented while the other two will be done soon.
"Advani informed BJP MPs about PM's claim in Lok Sabha that the government had implemented its decision on enhancement of pension to JCOs (junior commissioned officers) and jawans (soldiers). No JCO or jawan has received any such order. This is a very serious matter of parliamentary impropriety," BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu said Thursday quoting Advani.