DW BUREAU / PATIALA Sitting Congress MP from Patiala Preneet Kaur has urged Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to accept the demand of the All-India Short Service Commissioned officers for grant of a monthly pension of Rs 30,000 with dearness allowance to the war veterans. Preneet Kaur, who is a former Minister of State for External Affairs, has sent a letter to the Defence Minister stating that a deputation of released Emergency and Short Service Commissioned officers had met her and apprised her about their demands. She said that they had stated that a proposal by Army Headquarters had been sent to the Defence Ministry in October, 2020, to honour the war veterans of the 1965/1971 by recognizing their services under the Yudh Samman Yojna Scheme. The note states that a delegation of the Short Service Commissioned officers had met the Defence Minister on October 4, 2020. Comments by CDS General Bipin Rawat had already been sent as the Union government had accepted this scheme in principle. Papers were presently in the Defence Ministry and needed clearance by the Defence Minister. A total of 414 EC/SSC officers had sent their details to the Army Headquarters but with the Covid epidemic some officers lost their lives and today there were only 385 officers left. This is a diminishing pension account and presently all EC/SSC officers were in the 78-85+ age group. The government and the Army will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1971 war on December 16 next and it would be a great gesture if the Yudh Samman Yojna Scheme could be announced to coincide with this great day. (editor@dailyworld.in)