Madurai : More than 2,000 cases involving pensions and other benefits of former armed forces personnel and their families remain unresolved as the Armed Forces Tribunal’s Chennai bench has been without judges for over three years.
Madurai MP Su Venkatesan, in a September 28 letter to defence minister Rajnath Singh , sought immediate appointment of judges to restore the tribunal’s functioning and clear the backlog. Because their claims could not be adjudicated, he said retired personnel, war-disabled soldiers and families of ex-servicemen were facing financial hardship.
“Ex-servicemen, who dedicated the prime of their youth to safeguarding the borders and sovereignty of our nation, are now compelled to spend their advanced years running from pillar to post,” Venkatesan said in his letter. Citing media reports, the MP said disposal of cases had come to a complete halt at the Chennai bench. He urged the ministry to prioritise judicial appointments so regular proceedings could resume.
Responding on October 9, Singh acknowledged the representation and said, “I am having the matter looked into. The minister’s reply did not specify a timeline for appointments or resumption of hearings.