Annual get-together of Kodagu Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association (Mysuru East)

Mysuru:  Members of Mysuru-based ‘Kodagu Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association (Mysuru East)’ celebrated their third annual get-together along with their family members at V.K. Function Hall in Nazarbad here on Apr.8.

B.M. Nataraj, a social worker, who was the chief guest, inaugurated the day-long programme.

Addressing the gathering, he said, “It is only the unity and collective bargaining that produce the desired results through well-organised Associations with their noble objectives.”

He also made a passing remark on ex-servicemen achieving their 4-decade-long demand for One Rank One Pension (OROP), through peaceful agitations by various Ex-Servicemen Associations, which came together on one platform to impress upon the Government to sanction the OROP.

President of the Association and Army veteran Kanjithanda K. Aiyappa, in his welcome address, briefed about the various welfare projects planned by the Association — like building a community hall for the benefit of members of the Association after getting a CA (Civic Amenities) site sanctioned by MUDA; Training, motivating and providing necessary information to the youth of Mysuru to join the Armed Forces.

Army veteran Appachangada Motaiah, General Secretary of the Association, spoke about the various welfare programmes including the ‘Death Fund’ and called upon the members to contribute towards the Fund.

Motaiah opined that 80% of the ex-servicemen of yore, and 90% of widows of ex-servicemen are ignorant even now regarding the welfare schemes floated by the Central and State Governments from time to time. He urged the ex-servicemen to update themselves with the new welfare schemes floated by the  Governments by interacting among themselves, and knowing it through Department of Sainik Welfare, and educate their families too of the same.

Stating that most of the ex-servicemen and their widows presumed that all is well with them as long as they got their monthly military pension, canteen facilities as per their entitlement and medical treatment through Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme, Motaiah cautioned the ex-servicemen that many of the military pensioners were not aware of the fact that the pension disbursing agency, that is the public sector banks, make a lot of mistakes while disbursing pension, and thus pay the pensioners less than their eligible pension. He added that sometimes it ran into a few lakhs of rupees.

Policies on pension which keep changing and got revised upward during 5th and 6th Central Pay Commission (CPC) was one of the reasons for this, he said and added that all those military pensioners who happen to be underpaid with their basic pension during the 6th CPC, on implementation of OROP, such defence pensioners will continue to be underpaid for the rest of their lives even with subsequent upward revisions, in future.

The General Secretary urged not only the members of the Association but also the ex-servicemen and widows of ex-servicemen in general, to make sure that they are being paid correct pension as per their rank and length of service, as per the 5th and 6th Central Pay Commissions. He also suggested to them, to get their pension entitlement / eligibility verified through  the Department of Sainik Welfare and Resettlement in their respective districts, or by contacting the Association’s Legal Advisor, Mandetira N. Subramani between 10 am and 6 pm on all working days, on his Mob: 99001-01047.

The get-together concluded with various games for children and family members. Prizes were given away by Vice-President Kombanda Bheemaiah and Treasurer Kangira Achaiah. Joint Secretary Chandira Basappa proposed a vote of thanks.