ARMY DISHES OUT BONANZA - DOUBLES HOUSE RENT

       THE FOLLOWING NEWS WILL BRING SOME CHEER TO THE SERVING PERSONNEL OF THE ARMED FORCES:-
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Tribune News Service, New Delhi, November 1

Realising that the cost of living had gone up and it was impossible to provide government housing to all its officers and jawans, the Indian Army has doubled the house rent allowance. This will apply to those who have not been allotted official houses and have to take accommodation on rent in civilian areas.

Orders of the Army Headquarters in this regard have been circulated to all regiments, officials said while adding that these have been implemented with immediate affect.

A number of officers and jawans are forced to take places on rent in civilian areas, especially in cities like Delhi and Chandigarh, where accommodation is not enough and is very expensive to rent out a decent two-room place.

The Army also ramped up the scales of accommodation applicable to all its officers and jawans. Notably in case of barrack style accommodation for “single-living” jawans, that is the pattern of living in most forward bases, the jawans will have more space. This will be bigger living area and in some case the increase is 40 per cent of the existing area. The common room will be doubled while the jawans will have bigger bathrooms and more number of urinals.

Provision for desert coolers, educational rooms and computer rooms have been made. For varying seniority of officers geysers, AC and Kota stone flooring will be the new standard of fittings allowed in homes. The kitchen will have a proper utensil and cutlery storage cabinet. As of now, officers get it done with their own money. The review of the new scales of accommodation was carried out after 20 years or so and since then living conditions have changed considerably.
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