Indian Gurkhas get pay hike, pensions to increase also

 

Gurkha soldiers serving in the Indian Army will soon see a hefty increase in their monthly salaries and those who have retired will also see hike in their pension benefits as the Indian government has accepted the recommendation made by the 6th Pay Commission regarding hike in salaries and pensions for all civil servants and army personnel of India.

 

The new pay roll and pension scheme will come into effect from January, 2009, according to reports.

 

"All military personnel serving in the India Army, and that includes Indian Gurkha soldiers, will receive almost the double of what they were getting as salary," Gopal Bagley, first secretary at the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu told Nepalnews. "Similarly, ex-Indian Gurkha soldiers will also see up to 30 percent increase in the pensions they were getting."

 

Around 250,000 ex-Indian Gurkha soldiers regularly receive pension from the Indian Army running to tens of billions of rupees every year.

 

Two weeks ago there was a report in a section of Nepalese media, which claimed that India has stopped recruiting Nepalese youths in its army -a break, it said, from over two -century long tradition set by the British when they ruled over India.

 

However, Indian ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood denied the report, adding that there has only been a reduction in the quota for Nepalese youths in the Indian army. Some 60,000 Gurkhas currently serve in the Indian army. nepalnews.com ag Nov 28 08