‘No panel on ex-servicemen’s pay anomalies’

NEW DELHI - The government has not constituted a committee to consider a demand for reducing the gap in the retirement benefits of armed forces personnel, the Election Commission was told Monday.

The Commission last week issued notice to Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar seeking a clarification on media reports that the government had set up a high-level committee to consider the ex-servicemen’s one rank-one pension demand. Had the panel been set up, it would be considered a violation of the poll conduct code, the Commission said in its notice.

‘Cabinet secretary has submitted his reply stating that no special committee has been constituted to consider one rank-one pension demand,’ Deputy Election Commissioner R. Balakrishnan told reporters.