The confederation of ex-paramilitary forces welfare associations is planning to send a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking redressal of their host of demands, including restoration of the old pension scheme for paramilitary personnel.

National coordinator of the association, Ranbir Singh, said a memorandum to the Prime Minister’s Office seeking an appointment with Modi will be sent to press for our longstanding demands for restoration of the old pension scheme for paramilitary personnel.

The veterans, on behalf of serving paramilitary personnel, have also been demanding salaries equivalent to that of defence personnel and an exemption of goods and services tax (GST) at central police canteens at par with the defence canteens.

Singh said the government had stopped the regular pension scheme to jawans of paramilitary forces working under the command of the Union home ministry who joined after January 2004 and had brought them under the NPS which is contributory in nature.

“This is nothing but injustice that is being meted to the paramilitary forces by the Centre. The forces had been clubbed with their civilian counterparts under the National Pension Scheme even though they are performing duties in hostile terrains protecting the country’s borders like the defence forces,” Singh said.

Last year the association had written to the PMO seeking an appointment with Modi but it was not granted, he said.

Under the NPS, he said, 10 per cent of the salary and dearness allowance is to be paid by the paramilitary personnel and an equal percentage is contributed by the government. The old pension scheme is applicable to the army, navy and air force.

The association has also been demanding salaries at par with the defence forces for over 12 lakh paramilitary personnel such as the BSF, CRPF, ITBP and SSB.

The BSF guards Indian frontiers with Pakistan and Bangladesh, the ITBP with China, the SSB with Nepal and Bhutan and the CRPF is the lead internal security force of the country.

The association has also urged the Centre to allow a 50 per cent rebate under Goods and Services Tax for the central police canteens that serve lakhs of serving and retired personnel of these forces.