SCPC: The Voice of Veterans Dehra Dun

PRESS NOTE RELEASED ON THE EVE OF VIJAY DIWAS DAY 16 DEC 2008 BY EX-SERVICES LEAGUE DEHRADUN AT KARGIL WAR MEMORIAL GHANDHI PARK DEHRADUN. No One Rank One Pension for veterans. Is this Justice?

Supreme Court had passed a judgement in 1982 on the One Rank One Pension scheme for military veterans and the KP Singh Deo Committee had recommended the same unequivocally in 1984. It was also one of the main planks for protests by veterans earlier this year. However the defence minister has categorically stated its unacceptability in the Rajya Sabha.

Government has not found acceptable the demand of Ex-Servicemen for one rank one pension. This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Kalraj Mishra in Rajya Sabha. The defence personnel have not rejected the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission, he added. But where is the choice for them? As disciplined soldiers they are not allowed to even comment what to say of rejection. The three chiefs simply drew the attention to some of the anomalies in the 6th CPC and so much hulla-gulla was made as if they had revolted and were made to shut down.

After MUMBAI Terrorist attack, people thought probably Govt. will accept all demands of Defence personnel especially when our leaders talked of towing tough line with Pakistan and destroying the terrorist camps being run there. What a strange thing– at home we are not prepared to rectify mistakes made, even for the welfare of the people, what to talk of security, but want others to take action so that such attacks are not repeated. Why can't we take action to fortify and strengthen ourselves so that others dare not make such ventures. Security being utilized to protect Politicians should be diverted to protect the Country.

By not accepting concept of OROP we are creating more rifts amongst ourselves as no one will like a junior to draw more pay than their senior. The 6th CPC has created wide anomalies which need immediate attention and unless some knowledgeable Defence personnel are put on the job to rectify those anomalies it may weaken our system and lower the morale of the people as every one has to retire one day and face the same situation. How can you attract youngsters to join when they see such disparities which keep on widening day by day. Actually OROP has not been properly understood by the authorities concerned as with minor modifications it can be achieved very easily without much of expenditure as dreaded.

The main cause of resentment is lowering of status of Defence personnel vis-vis their civilian counterparts who were earlier either equal or even lower to them, have now been put above them with a lot of difference in emoluments especially officers of the rank of Lt. colonels, who constitute about 30% of the strength and command the units. It is mainly because they have been put in pay band 3 where as others in band 4 and there is lot of difference in grade pay of both the Bands. It needs immediate correction.

Pension of Generals less than Colonels
1. The pension of colonels retiring from January 1, 2006, is more that that of lieutenant generals who had retired prior to January 1, 1996. The revised pension fixed for a lieutenant general who retired before 1996 is Rs 26,150 per month, while that of a colonel retiring from 2006 onwards is Rs 30,375. It will become worse as the years pass and there will be hardly any difference in pay of colonel and general.
2. The pension of a pre-1996 major fixed at Rs 14,464 is now almost Rs 1,500 lower to that of a lieutenant, the Army's junior most officer. Similarly placed lieutenant colonels would draw Rs 17,063 while recently retiring captains would get Rs 17,865.
3. A havildar retiring before 1996 after having put in about 18 years' service would get Rs 5,008 whereas a post -2006 retiree sepoy, the lowest in the rung, would get Rs 6,860.
4. Following the implementation of the Fifth Pay Commission recommendations in 1998, the pension of some major generals was fixed at rates lower that that of brigadiers. They had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking higher pension and the court had ruled in their favour. The Supreme Court upheld the HC decision a few months ago. According to informed sources, the ministry of defence is yet to implement the court orders.
5. Pensions for the ranks of Brig, Maj Gen and Lt Gen are all placed at Rs 26150 in MOD letter of 11.Nov.2008 but differs in PCDA Letter of 18 NOV. 2008 to Banks. There is no uniformity in working in different banks and people of same seniority when compare their emoluments feel foxed. All banks be asked to follow same methods of working for arrears and pension. Seniors must get more pension than their juniors.
6. Govt of India, Ministry of Defence, had issued the pension sanction letter for pre-2006 pensioners on 11 November 2008. The said Govt letter covered both PBOR as well as officers.The example given in the letter shows as to how the pension is to be calculated but the tables supplied with that do not show even Grade pay, what to say of MSP and in some cases arrears are being worked out as per charts and causing lot of confusion in banks.
7. They say MSP is a new element and will be given from 1.9.2008. Why so as it is the new name coined for Rank Pay, which was Military Pay, and was being given up to 31.12.2005. It should be given from 1.1.2006 along with arrears as per the working shown in example given in MOD Letter dated 11 Nov 2008.
8. As you may be aware that there was no direct representation of Defence Officers in Pay Commission and data was given only by MOD to the CPC. 6th CPC worked on the same and had to grant lower scales and emoluments. Had the cut in basic pay of officers effected from 1.1.1986, been restored they would have automatically come to a higher status and got what ever was their due and would have brought parity with their counterparts in other civil Depts.
9. Similarly due to non projection of data properly before the 6TH CPC, PBOR have been denied the scales granted even to Police personnel, where as it is well established that the Defence PBOR are much better trained and skilled and face much tougher life and retire much earlier. They at least be given those scales if not more. It happened because there was no representative of Defence personnel in 6TH CPC to put across such anomalies or stress the requirement. Even grouping of Jawans in X and Y and their emoluments are not in order or as it should have been as per their skills as they deal with more sophisticated weapons and equipment and keep on acquiring more qualifications, needing regrouping.
10. Similarly, PBOR used to retire at the maximum of the scale in which they were working at the time of retirement, but it has now been reduced to 50% of the Pay, one was drawing at the time of retirement, taking that they retire at a younger age and can get reemployment. you know how very difficult it is to get a job after retirement especially at lower levels. This decision, based on the wrong data presented to the 6th CPC by MOD, needs to be reversed. The earlier system had brought PBORs very close to the demand of one rank one pension.

The Govt. should constitute a separate Pay commission constituting of mostly experienced defence officers who know the subject well, to rectify the whole system and remove such anomalies so that the present skewed situation could be set right.

Brig K G Behl (Retd)
President Dehradun Ex-Services League