Saturday, March 13, 2010

Pre-Mature Retirees are in for a rude shock

Dear friends,
It has just been brought to my notice, that the government has RETROSPECTIVELY abolished the five-year 'weightage' granted to those who retire with less than 33 years service.
I learnt this from the case of a Colonel who retired after 27 years service in Apr 2006. The sequence of events makes pathetic reading. Here is how it goes:
  • The revised PPO issued in Jun 2009 granted a sum of Rs 9,50.400 as gratuity to him.
  • On 11 Jan 2010, the CDA issued a fresh corrigenda LOWERING the above amount to 8,01,900. The officer has been advised that the 'excess, amount viz Rs 1,48,500' would be deducted from the pension payable to him at the rate of one-third of the nett amount payable to him.
  • No reason is assigned for the above deduction in the communication from the CDA. However, when I approached the authorities, I was informed that "since the 33 year conditionality has been withdrawn, the 'weightage' has been abolished by the government."
    The question which comes to my mind is that the pension rules had been changed by the 6th Pay Commission and its report was with the govt in Mar 2008. Why did the 'system' have to wait for two whole years to make this change, and that too RETROSPECTIVELY!!!
    And even if it was necessary to implement such a measure, was it not incumbent upon the CDA to give an explanatory statement or clarification in the revised pension order?
    This is another case of a goof up, which will hurt the military personnel more than the civilians because we are the only ones who retire with less than 33 years service. In case of the post-2006 retirees, it shaves off two-and-half months pay, admitted tax-free for all those who retire with less than the 'standard service'
    With each passing day, our faith in the quality of administrative service being rendered by our rulers receives a body blow.
    Regards,
    Maj Gen Surjit Singh (Retd)

    Puzzling Maths
    GOI Department of Expenditure Implementation Cell: click here
    Para iv on page 19 under "Commissioned Officers" says delinking 33 years wef 01.01.2006 would increase pension by Rs 3000/- benefiting 1100 Officers? In the same para civilians with 20 to 28 years will benefit too. The total outlay for this additional expenditure to the state is Rs 4.83 crore per annum. How then is the gratuity being deducted retrospectively? If there is deduction where is the loss to the state? The Expenditure Secretary needs to enlighten us on the rationale of full gratuity for civilians with 20- 28 years service vis a vis Military Officer rendering 27 years service with reduced gratuity!
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