A recent Defence Ministry report has disclosed that only 5,792 out of 33,007 ex-servicemen in Telangana had registered for re-employment till June last.
But Director of Sainik Welfare Col. P. Ramesh Kumar argued that there were thousands of others who were self-employed or working in private sector and security agencies and went unaccounted by the report as they were not sponsored by his department.
In Hyderabad and adjoining police commisionerates alone, there were nearly 750 ex-servicemen working as special police officers and performing duties of constables, drivers and mechanics in workshops with a monthly remuneration of ₹ 20,000. The amount was in addition to the pension of ₹ 15,000 that they drew for a minimum service of 15 years in defence.
The report with all India figures was furnished by Minister of State for Defence Shripad Yesso Naik in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. It said that 105 out of 5,792 registered ex-servicemen in Telangana had got permanent jobs in the State government, State public sector undertakings, banks, local bodies, private sector and disabled department.
Col. Ramesh Kumar said the Telangana government had reserved two per cent jobs for ex-servicemen in Group III and Group IV services, recruitment of sub-inspectors, constables and various other uniformed duties whenever the notification was issued. All of them were fully filled but the information was not shared with the department of Sainik Welfare because of on-line recruitment process based on service documents.
The percentage and groups in which the State governments had reserved jobs for ex-servicemen varied from state to state. The Directorate-General Resettlement of the department of Sainik Welfare maintained data on registration of ex-servicemen for re-employment on half yearly basis with inputs from State and district Sainik boards.
Col. Ramesh Kumar said there were about 30 ex-servicemen in Telangana who participated in World War II from 1939 to 1945 and the subsequent wars with Pakistan and China. The oldest among them was aged 103. But, only those who retired from defence in recent years registered for re-employment.
