IESM: Fast for Justice Rally- fiftieth day

Date: Thursday, 5 February, 2009, 10:15 PM

Dear Colleagues,
The fast continues. ESM from NOIDA and other NCR areas are in charge of the Jantar Mantar site.

Misinformation
Over the last two days, I have received queries from two places in Haryana (Panipat and Bhondsi) wanting to know whether the 8 Feb rally is still on. It transpires that someone posing as a Colonel from our Core Group has been calling up various places to say that the rally is called off. It is clarified, and may please be disseminated to all, that this is just misinformation and that the rally at Jantar mantar is very much on schedule, starting at 1100 hours on 08 Feb 2009. Someone indulging in such acts is not only acting against ESM interests but is also obviously jealous, and if jealousy is any indicator of success, the IESM is doing fine.

Rally Preparations
The preparations are in place. Every member of the core Gp, as well as the others, are fully involved in their respective fields. Gens Satbir and Renjen, Col Kanwar Bhardwaj, Sub Maj Dahiya and some others visited Mahendra Garh (Haryana) today and met a very enthusiastic response. Calls have been coming from various parts of the country giving details of busloads of ESM that may be expected.

Meeting with MOD Officials
In response to my complaint (vide letter dt 21 Jan 09) that there are problems in receiving correct pension entitlements, I had a routine meeting today with Secretary (EWS), FADS, CGDA rep and Joint Secy + Dir(EWS). Some of the points that were agreed upon are:

1. The MOD will issue fresh instructions to the banks. It might be of interest to know that the banks are being paid (Rs 60 per head I think) for disbursing pensions. Out of the total 21 lac pensioners, the SBI is servicing 8 lacs and have already been instructed to do the needful. Nearly 6 lac pensioners are still sticking on to receiving pension from the Treasury– we may advise them to switch to banks where efficiency is relatively better.
2. It was agreed that the banks would be instructed to accept as proof of date of birth, voter ID/ driving licence/ ECHS card etc. This point is more applicable to veterans who are over 80 years and are entitled extra pension.
3. On being told that it is impractical to produce qualifying service proof from Records offices or Service HQ, they clarified that the banks are supposed to have complete details of each dependent pensioner and that we should insist on them providing it. Please pass on the information to all.
4. They emphasised that the Principal CDA Allahabad (Mr Chopra) is doing a good job and is even carrying out a spot audit by visiting banks unannounced. They suggested that I could visit Allahabad to satisfy myself. I told them we would depute someone more knowledgeable for the task. Any Volunteer who can go well prepared with some constructive suggestions to improve the efficiency?
5. My thrust was that the success of the scheme has to be seen in the results and not the efforts. In our case majority of the PBOR are not even aware of their correct entitlement and will accept whatever the banks give. It is, therefore, crucial that they are paid correctly. The point was well taken.

Best regards,
Lt Gen (Emeritus) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Chairman IESM

Dear All,
We are meeting at 3 PM today 06 Feb 2009 at Jal Vayu Vihar Sec 21, Noida community Centre (JVCC) lawns to ensure some more new Veterans of the three services joining the expanding family of the IESM, which has gathered momentum all over the country as well as abroad.

Kindly send this mail/ SMS to all your friends about this meeting which would be addressed by Gen Raj Kadyan & Gen Satbir Singh. Don't forget the D Day of 08 Feb 2009 Sunday at 1100 hrs at Jantar mantar....also.

Regards
Cdr Sharan Ahuja (Retd)
Member Core Group IESM