Hours after extending support to BJP-led NDA, ally JD(U) seeks rethink on Agnipath scheme

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, June 6

Hours after announcing its support to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the Janata Dal (United) has said there is a need to rethink on the Agnipath scheme to induct soldiers in the Indian Armed Forces.

JD (U) spokesperson KC Tyagi told a news channel: “There is need to have a fresh rethink on the Agnipath scheme. After the scheme — announced in June 2022 — there has been unhappiness,” Tyagi said, adding that “I suppose their families vent out their anger in the recent Lok Sabha elections”.

On Wednesday, JD (U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was in the National Capital to attend an NDA meet where his party expressed faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Angipath scheme, it’s recruitment formula and the future of the youth had been raised during electioneering for Lok Sabha polls, with the Congress even promising to scrap it.

In December last year, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, chaired by BJP MP Jual Oram, recommended that families of Agniveers — name given to troops recruited under the scheme —  who die in the line duty should be provided the same benefits given to the families of regular soldiers.

The present rules do not have the provision of pension for the family of the Agniveer dying in the line of duty. In case a regular soldier gets martyred, his family — wife or parents — gets pension for life.

The report also stated that “there is no assured employment or skill development programme exclusively designed for Agniveers, except for some percentage of reservation of jobs in Central Armed Police Forces”.

The Agnipath scheme entails for recruitment of youth in the Armed Forces for a period of four years. After the four-year service, 25 per cent of the troops would be retained as full-time soldiers while others would be released with one-time financial package. For those retained, the four-year period of Angipath duty would not be counted as part of the service period for financial benefits of pension calculation, etc.