GURKHAS from Blandford have taken their case to Westminster in a bid to win equal pension rights.

The chairman of the British Gurkha Welfare Society (BGWS), Major Tikendra Dewan, met with North Dorset MP Bob Walter to make the case for greater pension entitlement.

Some 36,000 Gurkha veterans who retired before July 1, 1997, or their widows, receive either no pension at all or a much lower pension in comparison to their fellow UK soldiers.

Major Dewan said he was delighted to have won the MP’s support, adding, “I hope that we can move forward constructively to resolve pension inequalities in a way which is fair, balanced and which benefits both Gurkhas and the UK government,” he said.

He told the MP many Gurkha ex-servicemen would prefer to stay in Nepal with their families but an income of around £2,150 a year compared with £5,000 to their British counterparts, meant many couldn’t afford to.

The British Gurkha Welfare Society was founded in 2004 to help and support the many hard-up ex-servicemen returning to the UK. It represents Gurkhas in the UK and Nepal, providing welfare and immigration services to retired servicemen, and campaigning for equal treatment of Gurkhas.

Mr Walter said his North Dorset constituency was home to many Ghurkas and pledged to continue an earlier fight that had won greater settlement rights.

“In and around Blandford we often see Gurkhas serving in the British army. There are also quite a few who have retired in north Dorset. For almost two centuries Gurkha soldiers have fought with us – for us. Now it’s our turn to fight for them,” he said.

“If we don’t strive to create a fairer system, not only will many ex-soldiers and their families be forced into poverty, but we will be sending the message that some members of our armed forces are more equal than others. This is unjust.”