After a Press Club briefing, veterans intensified their agitation at NTPC Bhawan, highlighting decades-long unpaid dues and warning of a broader movement if promised hearings fail to deliver results.
New Delhi | December 27, 2025
A group of 96 ex-servicemen linked to the Dabhol Power Project, NTPC, and Ratnagiri Gas and Power Private Limited staged a peaceful demonstration outside NTPC Bhawan at the SCOPE Complex on Lodhi Road on Saturday, pressing for settlement of salary and pension arrears pending for nearly 24 years.
The protest followed a press briefing held at the Press Club of India on December 26, where the veterans had made public a series of documents and asserted that despite exhausting all constitutional, legal, and institutional channels, their grievances remain unresolved.
Addressing the media during the demonstration, the ex-servicemen said prolonged inaction has left many of them—now senior citizens—facing severe financial hardship. They explained that delayed payments have directly affected access to healthcare, basic sustenance, and housing, turning the issue into a question of dignity and survival for 96 families rather than an individual dispute.
During the protest, NTPC officials met a delegation of the veterans. Two senior officials, accompanied by beat officer Rajesh Chaudhary, assured the group that their concerns would be formally examined and requested them to return on Monday for a detailed hearing with the relevant authorities.
Veteran representative V.S. Salunkhe said that after pursuing every lawful option for over two decades, intensifying the agitation had become unavoidable. He added that the assurances offered by NTPC would be closely monitored and that future steps would depend on tangible progress.
Suresh Pachpute appealed to the media to keep the issue in public focus, warning that continued silence would reflect poorly on the nation’s commitment to soldiers’ rights. Chandrakant Shinde echoed this view, stating that the matter now symbolises the collective honour of all affected families.
Vijay Nikam outlined the group’s next steps, cautioning that if the promised discussions fail to result in a time-bound solution, the veterans would escalate their movement, including an indefinite sit-in and wider mobilisation.
Reaffirming their commitment to peaceful and democratic protest, the ex-servicemen urged the government and NTPC management to ensure that the forthcoming meeting leads to a concrete and prompt resolution of their long-pending dues.
