New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee requested the Centre on Monday to raise the retirement age for troops recruited under the Agnipath initiative to 65 years, arguing that they will face an unclear future at the conclusion of the four-year tenure, news agency PTI reported.
Banerjee further stated that the BJP-led national government established the new defence recruiting system with the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in mind.
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"My motto is to create more and more jobs unlike the BJP. They are training people for four months and recruiting them for four years. What will these soldiers do after four years? What will be their fate? It’s uncertain," Banerjee was quoted by PTI in its report.
“We demand that the retirement age be extended to 65 years (under the Agnipath scheme)," she further adds.
Banerjee had alleged that the plan was being used by the BJP to establish its own "armed cadre base."
Following the announcement of the Agnipath scheme for the armed services on June 14, several states witnessed demonstrations, including uncontrolled violence. The scheme plans to recruit young people aged 17 and a half to 21 for four years, with the option of retaining 25% of them for another 15 years. The upper age restriction has been raised to 23 years.
(With Inputs From PTI)