AFT Bar bodies seek PM Modi's intervention on Defence Ministry filing appeals against disability benefits to soldiers

Vijay Mohan

Chandigarh, January 28

The Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) Bar Associations have sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Minister of Law Arjun Ram Meghwal on the issue of the Ministry of Defence filing a large number of appeals against the orders of AFT benches granting relief to defence personnel in matters relating to disability benefits.

“Our association notes with very serious concern the recent humongous amount of litigation let loose upon disabled soldiers, widows of defence personnel and their family members by the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare of the Ministry of Defence only because of the reason that many of its senior officers were pulled up by various benches of the AFT for non-implementation of its orders lying unimplemented for the last many years,” a letter written by the Jaipur Bench of the AFT Bar Association states.

In a communique addressed to the prime minister and the minister of law and justice, on Sunday, the Chandigarh Bench of the AFT Bar Association has endorsed the letter and expressed its concern on the issue.

“It needs no emphasis that all these AFT orders are based upon existing Supreme Court judgments and the Law Ministry had also directed the withdrawal of all similar appeals from the Supreme Court which was announced with much fanfare by the Defence Ministry in 2019. It is also a policy of the current Government to reduce such litigation to the minimum,” the letter states.

The Bar has shown awareness of the fact that soldiers suffer from various medical conditions due to stress and strain, recognised by the rules, which affects their health and longevity. Such a move is bound to further cause miseries to them.

“It is also well known that a nation is known by the way it treats its military veterans and such a move is not only quite disastrous as far as public image is concerned, but will also result in a blow to public resources, government manpower, public funds and dent the litigants, besides clogging the courts with thousands of cases,” the letter adds.

Urging the prime minister and minister of law to intervene in the interest of the nation, the Bar has also requested them to sensitise the officers concerned on the issue of ensuring the welfare and well-being of disabled soldiers.