Disability Pension- Presentation to RRM

Dear Friends,
Jai Hind.
An email and its attachment just received from , is reproduced below. You may also like to visit the Disabled War Veterans website click here.
In service of Indian Military Veterans
Chander Kamboj

From: hnhanda
Sent: 23 October 2010 10:03
Subject: Disability Pension- A Presentation to RRM
I had been invited by Brig Gulia, Chairman IESL, to give a presentation to the RRM and other very senior officers. The Secy (ESW) and Gen Shankar Roy Choudhary were present. Date of presentation 22 Oct 10.
I was overwhelmed at the response received from those attending the gathering on the occasion. In fact the RRM congratulated me and requested a copy of my presentation for him to take with him to study. I gave him along with my presentation click here, a copy of Medical responsibilities of other countries specifying the responsibility of Prosthetics. Along with that, I gave him a copy of the AFT judgment specifying that:

War Disabled should receive Maximum pay of rank as they are deemed to have served 33 years.

Gratuity and other concessions should be made available to Short Service Commissioned officers.

At the end of the presentation, he promised to act on the issues especially on Data of War Disabled on an emergent basis and also take up anomalies on account pay raised by others. On this score, he advised that each item to be acted upon should be on a seperate sheet rather than on the same page. He also promised to put a halt on unnecessary appeals on AFT judgments.

I thank Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi, who granted me permission to use his earlier article, which I did to the maximum and Satnam for his advice when formulating my presentation. I thank Brig Gulia and his team for providing me the opportunity to present our case. I had to also speak on behalf of Veterans and War Widows as their representatives had to cancel at the last minute.
(Foot note- In my presentation I brought out the 5th Pay commission acceptance, the widows pension not being increased and the other aspects discussed in Inder’s office albeit in my own way.
Hari Handa)
Best wishes and regards,
Col H N Handa
President, Disabled War veterans(India)
Click Links Below:
Disabled War Veterans
Presentation to RRM by Col HN Handa to RRM on 22 Oct 2010

Bihar elections- Democracy Demolished and Demonised

The Citizen's Right to Know
Electoral Reforms : Key to Effective Democracy
Jagdeep S. Chhokar
It needs to be reiterated that the judgement is not about disqualifying people from contesting elections, it is about disclosure of the criminal background of the candidates, if any.

India is often referred to it as a vibrant and vigorous democracy. This might well be justified compared to a large number of other countries that gained independence from colonial rule around the same time. There is however reason to be concerned about the health of our democracy and its future. Just because we have elections regularly, some might even say far too often, does not necessarily mean that we have an effective democracy. One view is that the kind of elections we have are the very anti-thesis of democracy. Following excerpts from a letter written to the editor of one of the newspapers in Ahmedabad on September 9, 1999 soon after the elections, testifies to this.

“Thank God! The vulgar cacophony, throwing of abuses and trading of charges by political parties with each other is over.

“All political parties have made narrow-minded, extremely bigoted ... statements against each other as if they were in the race to prove who was more conservative and backward and who would be the first to destroy this nation by such ideologies, as Taliban has done for Afghanistan!

“No wonder people showed fatigue and displayed lack of enthusiasm in the type of democratic exercise now repeatedly held to elect the begging candidates so that on being elected they can sit in power and loot us, and amass wealth and power for their dynasties.

“Their slogan seems to be, ‘Cast your vote in favour of one whom you want should amass wealth!’

“Are our aspirations being fulfilled, even minimum security of life and basic services like food, water, shelter being met by the system created?

“What democratic values these bunch of self-appointed leaders will propagate with such narrow-minded approaches. Our democracy ends the day we cast our vote.”

The Election Process
If democracy has anything to do with freedom – and freedom with responsibility – then the electoral system might well be the very heart of democracy. If this sounds like an over statement let me try and sketch briefly what all does the electoral system include. It determines who can or should be allowed to vote. When should electoral rolls be prepared, revised, and how? The formation, func-tioning including funding, etc. of political parties is also an integral part of the electoral system. Included also is the basic question, who can contest an election. Then comes the actual conduct of the election which is what is most associated with the electoral system. On what basis is the winner of the election decided is another key element of the electoral system. These are some of the pre-election and during election activities. There is a whole range of post election activities during which the outcome of the electoral process are managed, such as post election disputes, election petitions, formation of the government, and subsequent functioning of the government including issues such as defections. This illustrative list indicates the critical role of the electoral system in ensuring an effectively functioning democracy.
Read more click here

IESM donates towards Leh flood relief

Dear Colleagues,
The veterans under the aegis of the IESM, had voluntarily donated funds for the victims of the recent Leh floods. We wanted to hand over this amount to the Army authorities so that it could be utilised for genuine purpose. Accordingly, a team comprising Krit Joshipura, Satbir Singh, Vinod Gandhi and self handed over a cheque of Rs 2,75,000.00 to the Adjutant General Lt Gen Mukesh Sabharwal today at the Army HQ. His senior Staff colleagues were also present. The gesture was much appreciated and the event was covered by the Army PRO.

There seems some apprehension in the minds of some colleagues that the govt does not understand what OROP actually is and the onus of educating the officialdom lies on the ESM. While the concern on the subject is understandable, the assumption of govt ignorance may not be justified. Let us consider following facts:

The government has consistently rejected the demand for OROP. It may not be prudent to assume that they have been rejecting a demand without even understanding its basis.

The Madan Lal Khurana Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence in 2003 had computed the cost of OROP as Rs 613.78 Crore, which recommendation was finally rejected by the GOI. This exact figure could not have been possible if the understanding of OROP by the concerned were nebulous.

Recently the government has rejected OROP on administrative, legal and financial grounds. We should not be assuming that the government has rejected it without even knowing what the financial cost is, which implies their understanding of OROP.

OROP being our primary demand such concern is understandable. However, we should avoid imagining difficulties where probably these do not exist.
Best regards,
Lt Gen (Emeritus) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Chairman IESM

Dr Manmohan Singh appreciates the Gallant Armed Forces

Extract of PM’s Valedictory Address at the Seminar on the Occasion of Golden Jubilee of National Defence College

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh delivering the valedictory address at the International Seminar on “Role of Force in Strategic Affairs”, at the Golden Jubilee celebrations of National Defence College, in New Delhi on October 22, 2010. King of Bhutan His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and the Defence Minister, Shri A. K. Antony are also seen. Photo no.CNR - 34194

The Defence Minister, Shri A. K. Antony addressing at the International Seminar on “Role of Force in Strategic Affairs”, at the Golden Jubilee celebrations of National Defence College, in New Delhi on October 22, 2010. Photo no.CNR - 34196

Our development ambitions need a favourable external environment. Global interdependence of nations is a growing economic and political reality. It is therefore essential for India to remain actively engaged with the rest of the world so that we can access capital, high technology, energy and knowledge to propel our growth process.

However, we have to be conscious that just as military power alone cannot assure national security, growth by itself is not the ultimate answer to the multiple challenges we face as a nation. Our ability to develop at the pace and in the direction that we wish to will depend on how well we are able to maintain the internal stability and cohesion of our country.

Naxalism and Left Wing Extremism today pose a great threat to our national security. We recognize that there is a development deficit in all parts of our country. But we should be equally clear that the Indian State cannot and will not allow its authority to be challenged.

Our country has been a victim of terrorism for the past more than two decades. Terrorism has been used as a means to destroy the values on which our nation is built. Terrorist groups enjoy patronage and sanctuaries and do not lack in resources. We therefore have to ensure that our capabilities to combat terrorism remain a step ahead of those of the terrorists. They should be left in no doubt whatsoever about our ability and resolve to defeat them.

We have to be prepared to deal with threats to our security from non-state actors and groups. The problem of piracy off the coast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden is a case in point. Non-state actors are becoming increasingly fused and employing the best technologies to target open and democratic societies like ours. We have therefore to modernize our defence doctrines to respond to new and non-traditional threats to our national security.

Cyber warfare is an area of emerging concern. I am glad that our Armed Forces and our other agencies are paying increasing attention to building capabilities and expertise in this very essential area.

Assuring our energy security is another major challenge. We do not have the luxury of choosing between one source of energy and another. We must keep all options open, including that of the nuclear energy. Till such time as we are dependent on fossil fuels we must have the capability of safeguarding the security of the sea lanes of communication. The bulk of international oil cargoes pass through the Indian Ocean and this therefore happens to be a region of vital interest and concern to us.

The scale of social and economic transformation that we seek to achieve for our country is unprecedented. If we succeed in this ambitious enterprise within the framework of an open, democratic and pluralistic society we will I sincerely believe profoundly influence the history of nations in the 21st century. For this to happen, we need peace in our hinterland and in our neighbourhood. We need to strengthen our efforts to make the world a more level playing field. The reality of international relations is that power is unevenly distributed. We should not expect those who have power to willingly part with it. We have therefore to stand up on our own feet to defend the values that define us as a nation.

I would like to conclude by placing on record our country’s deep appreciation to our gallant Armed Forces for their professionalism, valour and contributions to processes of nation building. The military preparedness and modernization of our Forces are matters of the highest priority for Government.

I end by wishing the National Defence College even greater glory in the next half century.”
click here to read full address of PM at NDC

Mumbai AFT leaves ESM in a lurch

On Friday, a 1971 war veteran breathed his last, and departed for his journey beyond life without a fair chance of seeking justice.

Captain (retd) Narendrakumar Bhosale, 73, had been pursuing a case to avail retirement benefits from the Indian Army. He, however, did not make much headway because of a non-functional armed forces tribunal in Mumbai. The tribunal was set up in September 2009 but has not been able to conduct any judicial work due to space constraint.

But captain Bhosale and many other servicemen like him do not have anywhere to go for justice as the Bombay high court does not have jurisdiction over their cases while an armed forces tribunal exists in the region.

The tribunal located ahead of the army canteen near the Afghan Church at Colaba is nothing close to a landmark. It can be identified only from a computer printout pasted on the building wall that shows the parking reservation for the armed forces tribunal.

“Although the tribunal has been set up, it is non-functional,” said Satendra Kumar, advocate for captain Bhosale and many other servicemen whose cases are in a limbo. “The only option left for servicemen seeking justice is to go to the principle bench in Delhi, which is not possible for most of them. Serving officers don’t get leave to attend court cases.”

The tribunal was set up as per the Armed Forces Tribunal Act, 2007. “There are seven regional benches — Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Kochi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, and Mumbai — with the principal bench in Delhi. Except for the one in Mumbai, all benches are functional,” Kumar said.

Captain Bhosale’s wife, Sheel, 61, said the government had let down the men who once staked their lives for the country. “He had been pursuing his case since 1998. He visited the administrative office in Allahabad, and relentlessly fought his case in court. He could never avail any retirement or medical benefits either,” said the wife of the 1965 and 1971 war veteran. “Had he been there, he would have explained his ordeal step by step,” Sheel told DNA over the phone from Pune. “Had the tribunal in Mumbai been judicially active, captain Bhosale would surely have got justice before his death.”

“Some of the servicemen are poor sailors who cannot afford trips to Delhi,” said advocate AP Singh representing many servicemen in court. “They come from interior parts of Maharashtra, Goa. What is the use of having a tribunal if it does not function?” -via DNA
Mumbai AFT leaves ESM in a lurch
More Military updates

Good vs Evil: Kalmadi surpasses all fixers

By T.J.S.George, 13/10/2010
Good Indians vs Evil Indians
The Devas finally came to the rescue of India. The Rakshasas have not yet been destroyed, but they have been exposed sufficiently enough to save India's honour before a watchful world. We can now walk with our heads held high as befitting citizens of a great country.

Such was the hold of the demons that the Devas had to appear in multiple avatars - as Bharat Bala, as Shyam Benegal, as Prasoon Joshi, as the all-conquering Keshav and as hundreds of nameless but astonishingly coordinated school children. Together they made the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games a moment of pride for us, effacing if only for a while the shame of greed and incompetence that preceded it.

All of us had always known that India had the abilities and the skills to organise the most challenging of events. But our political sphere allows the scum of society to occupy commanding heights of organising committees. In the case of the Commonwealth Games, it was clear that a Disorganising Committee was making a hash of it. But that Committee reckoned without the assurance of our protectors that "for the destruction of evil-doers, for firmly establishing righteousness, Sambhavaami yuge yuge".

So the avatars came. And how magnificent India looked before the world. The seven years and seven-thousand crores spent by the Disorganising Committee brought us disgrace. The ten months and one hundred fifty crores spent by the creative cultural team for the opening ceremony brought us glory.

That difference came about because of the difference in attitude. The primary interest of the Rakshasas was to feather their nests. Pride in their country was a sentiment totally alien to them. The Devas, by contrast, were motivated by nothing but pride in their country and culture. Some of them who led the team did not even take a rupee as fees. This is India at its finest. The pity is that all too often the vilest outgun the finest.

More worryingly, there seems to be no stopping the Chief of the Rakshasa Brigade. People like Jaipal Reddy and M.S.Gill, having discovered that they were outstanding non-performers, kept away from the limelight at the opening ceremony. But not the unashamed Kalmadi. That he was allowed to speak at the august function was an affront to the country. He made it worse by acknowledging the presence of Abul Kalam Azad ( May his soul rest in peace!) and later by thanking Prince Diana (will her soul now rest in peace?). This man is a serial blunderer too.

But even he, given to selective deafness and selective blindness, must know that he is hated by the people of this country. The crowd at the opening jeered him. Some days earlier, when he was dining at an upmarket Delhi restaurant, upmarket people from nearby tables went up to him and abused him. The internet is full of scorn and derision.

Nothing seems to penetrate his skin, though. He is said to be busy with p.r.campaigns designed to convince the world that the opening ceremony was a smashing success because of his untiring efforts behind the scenes. Claiming credit for other people's work is an integral part of the fixer's techniques. He will claim credit for everything that goes well with the Games, putting the blame for things that go wrong on Mani Shankar Iyer's and other available shoulders. That's the style of this kind of operators.

But the machinations of the guilty men should in no way lead to their exoneration. They need to be held accountable and punished, not acquitted. If their political godfathers, who let them run wild in the first place, continue their misplaced sponsorship even after the Games are over, then the godfathers' role in the shenanigans will also have to be tracked and exposed. We are a land blessed by the Devas. Rakshasas belong to the nether regions where they can organise a Paataala Olympics.
Good Indians vs Evil Indians
click here for CWG corruption updates
Kalmadi: Fixer and Fielder of Fictituous Firms

One Rank One Pension: Understanding Urgency of Unity

Dear Friends,
Jai Hind.
An email received from Colonel Inderjit Singh, a veteran who has been fighting for OROP for two decades, is reproduced below. Kindly pass it on to all ESM organisations you know and follow it up with a phone call.
Let all ESM stand shoulder to shoulder and put up a joint front to the Government regarding OROP and other problems of Defence Veterans of India.
IT IS NOW OR NEVER.
LET US ALL JOINTLY FIGHT FOR JUSTICE FOR DEFENCE SERVICES.
RESPOND POSITIVELY TO THE EMAIL FROM COL INDERJIT SINGH.
In service of Indian Military Veterans
Chander Kamboj.

From: Inderjit Singh
VERY URGENT
DEAR FRIENDS,
RECENTLY DISTURBED BY HAPPENINGS AROUND I HAD PUT OUT TWO MAILS ON THE INTERNET. THESE WERE VERY KINDLY PUT ON REPORT MY SIGNAL BY MY VERY DEAR FRIEND CHANDER, FOR WHICH I AM EVER GRATEFUL TO HIM.

I HAVE RECEIVED MANY EXCEPTIONALLY KIND MAILS FROM MANY KIND VETERANS. BESIDES PRAISING WHAT I HAD GIVEN IN THE MAILS MANY OF THEM LAMENTED AS TO WHY ALL OF US CAN NOT GET TOGETHER AND TAKE A JOINT STAND.

I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN THIS SUGGESTION AND ALWAYS TRIED TO GET EVERY BODY TO FORM A JOINT FRONT. TRIED TO FORM A CONFEDERATION IN 1982 FIRST TIME. THE EFFORT FAILED DUE TO POLITICAL AMBITIONS OF SOME FRIENDS. THEN AGAIN IN 1997, I WAS SUCCESSFUL TO GET TOGETHER A CONFEDERATION OF SEVEN MAJOR ORGANIZATIONS.i.e. IESL, AFA, NAVAL FOUNDATION, WAR WIDOWS ASSOCIATION, WAR DISABLED VETERANS, NEXCC AND MY ASSOCIATION. THIS TIME EARLIER FACTOR AND THE RANK CONSCIOUSNESS HAD THE CONFEDERATION FLOUNDERING ON THE DAY WELL CRAFTED MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION PUT TOGETHER BY US WAS TO BE SIGNED. DESPITE THE BREAK UP I GOT A SEVEN POINT COMMON AGENDA SIGNED BY THESE ORGANIZATIONS WHICH I PUT UP TO THE PRIME MINISTER.

I ALSO NEVER HESITATED TO TAKE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WITH ME FOR MEETINGS WITH MANY PMS AND RMS OF THE PAST. TWICE HOWEVER THE GENTLEMEN I TOOK WITH ME ALMOST MADE THE PMS WALK OUT ANNOYED BY THEIR RUDE ATTITUDE. I HAD TO RUN AND REQUEST THEM TO COME BACK, THIER ACTIONS NOTWITHSTANDING. I HAVE NO PRESTIGE PROBLEM TO TRY TO GET EVERY BODY TOGETHER AGAIN EITHER, FOR I FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS BETTER CHANCE FOR US TO SUCCEED IF WE ARE TOGETHER.


MOVED BY THESE KIND SENTIMENTS OF MANY WELL MEANING VETERANS, I AGAIN TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO INVITE ALL THE HEADS OF THE MAJOR ORGANIZATIONS TO COME TO MY OFFICE ON 21 0CT FOR A MEETING AT 1500 HRS AT 35 PALIKA BHAWAN, RK PURAM, SECTOR 13, NEW DELHI FOR WORKING OUT A JOINT MEMORANDUM AND SIGN IT TOGETHER. AFTER THAT WHICH EVER ORGANIZATION GETS ACCESS TO THE LEADERSHIP THEY PRESENT SIGNED COPY OF THIS MEMORANDUM ONLY.

PLEASE DO LET ME KNOW WHO IS COMING ON THIS MAIL ID BY 0900 HRS ON 21 OCT SO THAT WE CAN ARRANGE ACCORDINGLY. YOU CAN EVEN PHONE UP AND CONVEY YOUR ACCEPTANCE,OR OTHERWISE ON MY MOB NO 09811007629 OR OFFICE NOS O11 26112140 AND 011 24675078 TO OUR OFFICE SECRETARY SM NAHAR SINGH.

I HAVE SOUGHT A MEETING WITH THE RM WHICH IS LIKELY TO MATERIALIZE THROUGH HIS BENEVOLENCE, BY THE WEEK END. I CAN PRESENT IT TO HIM. I WILL TRY TO TAKE PERMISSION FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO WISH TO GO WITH ME. IF ALLOWED WE CAN ALL GO TOGETHER AND DO THE NEEDFUL. I HAVE NO PROBLEM IN TAKING ANY BODY WITH ME FOR THAT MEETING PROVIDED I CAN GET THE PERMISSION.

I AM NEVER WORRIED ABOUT LOSING MY IMPORTANCE, SURE IN MY MIND THAT NO BODY CAN TAKE AWAY WHAT I AND MY ASSOCIATION HAVE DONE OR NOT DONE IN THE PAST 30 YEARS. NOR IS IT MY WORRY THAT SOME BODY ELSE WILL TAKE AWAY THE CREDIT FOR WHAT WE GET. I BELIEVE AND AM SURE YOU ALL TOO SUBSCRIBE TO THE IDEA THAT WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT IS THAT OUR ALL BRETHREN GET THEIR RIGHFUL DUES.

LET US ALL SHED OUR BLOATED EGOS AND FOR ONCE AGAIN AND THIS TIME FINALLY PERHAPS, MAKE A HEAVE TOGETHER AND WIN OUR WAR. LOOK FORWARD TO A GENEROUS RESPONSE. LET THIS TIME BE A FAVOUR TO ME PERSONALLY. I HAVE NO SHAME IN ADMITTING THAT I WILL BE THE GREATEST BENEFICIARY IF WE ARE SUCCESSFUL. THIS BECAUSE SOONER THESE MATTERS ARE SETTLED I WOULD GET SOME TIME AT LEAST IN LIFE TO RELAX AT THIS OLD AGE, WITH YOUNGER GENERATION TAKING OVER THE BATON.

MY FRIEND CHANDER KAMBOJ ONLY.
PLEASE HAVE IT PASSED ON TO THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT I MENTIONED IN THE MAIL AND MORE. I DO NOT HAVE SOME OF THEIRS MAIL IDS.
BEST WISHES AND REGARDS
INDERJIT SINGH

Maj Gen and Equivalents- Fixation of Notional Pension

Dear Friends,
Jai Hind.
An email received from AVM RP Mishra is reproduced below.
You are requested to give wide circulation to the contents of this email; in particular to Maj Gens and equivalents who are not on email.
In service of Indian Military Veterans
Chander Kamboj.

Notional Fixation of Pay pre and post 1996 AVMs
You may like to publish it in REPORT MY SIGNAL so that Major Generals, both pre and post 1996 may take action to get their notional pay, pension and other retirement benefits revised.

I had to go up to Central Information Commission to know the modalities of how notional pay of pre 1996 AVMs was fixed. There when I enquired how pension of Major General with stagnation increment was fixed as 20000/- while for AVM with one stagnation increment was fixed at 20400/-. Air Hq representatives replied that they can talk only about Air Force. Again, when I asked how notional pay of AVMs retiring even in October 1996 was fixed at 19550/-, they said it must have been a mistake and the concerned officers must apply for rectification.

Finally I have got the modality for fixation of notional pay of pre 1996 AVMs vide Air Hq letter No Air HQ/23401/204/4/1315/E/PS dated 27 Sep 2010 which is as given below. As per this, minimum notional pay of a post 1996 officer had to be 19900 and in case of those who were on top of the scale for more than one year, it had to be 20400/-

NOTIONAL FIXATION OF PAY

Pay last drawn in IV CPCRs. 6700+200 (Stagnation Pay)

Fixation as on 01 Jan 96 as per V CPC (Starting pay) SAFI/2/S/98Rs. 19100

And increment as per FR Rules 22 (1)a(i)Rs. 19100+500=19600 Fixed as Rs. 19900 in the scale of Rs. 18400-500-22400

One increment given being on top of scale for more than one year as per clarification issued vide Min of Finance OM No 50(4)/97/IC-1 dated 02 April 1998 based on similar provision in CCS(RP) Rules read with para 6- Rs 20400/-
Regards.
AVM RP Mishra

Supreme Court asks defence secretary to spend ten days in High Altitude Areas

How about spending 10 days in high altitude Army posts, SC asks defence secy
TNN, Oct 19, 2010, 04.11am IST
NEW DELHI: A little over a month ago, the Supreme Court had suggested to the Centre to keep its armed forces personnel happy by providing them with an independent pay tribunal where they could ventilate their grievances instead of returning their medals and burning artificial limbs.

But finding the response lukewarm, a Bench comprising Justices Markandey Katju and T S Thakur expressed unhappiness in no uncertain terms and termed the bureaucracy in the ministry of defence "insensitively effective".

"Sitting somewhere in a plush office in Delhi and finding fault in each proposal is easy. The defence secretary must be sent for 10 days to the high altitude posts. He will at least see first hand the conditions in which these people serve the country," the Bench said.

To minimise further flow of anguished remarks, solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam, who appeared for the Centre, sought time to respond to the proposal but not before clarifying that the government was getting objections to the proposal for setting up a panel to look into pay-related and pension-related grievances of armed forces personnel.

The Bench reluctantly gave a final opportunity to Subramaniam to come back with a proper response from the government to the suggestion of setting up an independent pay tribunal but also reminded him that on the last two occasions, the government had done nothing better than seeking further time.

"Your bureaucrats are not bothered. People in the Army are returning medals in thousands and some have even burnt their artificial limbs in protest. They get a feeling now that these bureaucrats do not hear them. If you have a commission, at least some steam (anger among the armed forces personnel) will be let out," the Bench reasoned.

Subramaniam said, "I see value in what the court has suggested, but this involves more than one ministry. Even the recurring liability would be high."

The Bench posted the matter to November 8 asking the Centre to respond specifically to the suggestion, setting out the areas and parameters it was willing to consider. The apex court on September 8 had suggested setting up an independent pay tribunal chaired by a retired Supreme Court judge that would be a recommendatory body.

The Bench said, "If this was a proposal for the bureaucrats, it would have been implemented. We don't expect the bureaucracy to support this proposal. We need to deal with them (armed forces) separately as a distinct class."

The court even asked the Centre to consider including the paramilitary forces in the scope of the tribunal as they too have tough assignments, quite similar to the task performed by armed forces.

Read more: How about spending 10 days in high altitude Army posts, SC asks defence secy - The Times of India Click here for the TOI Report

Status of Rank Pay denied by the Fourth Pay Commission to the Armed Forces

Dear Friends,
Jai Hind.
Reference Rank Pay case hearing in Supreme Court on 18 Oct 10.
Two important inputs are reproduced below.
In service of Indian Military Veterans
Chander Kamboj.

On Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 10:27 AM, Col NR Kurup wrote:
I doubt whether you had a look at the file notings of the Defence Secretariat file on the issue. Anyway, I had a look at it. In case you have not seen it so far, kindly go through it. If you seek inspection of the file under RTI Act, you will get it. Let me point out the following aspects:

As per Defence Ministry's note, dated 22-12-2009 the financial implications were estimated t be Rs.433 cores without taking into account financial implications on pensionary benefits in respect of army and navy officers.

It was referred to Legal Adviser (Def)

The Legal Advisor was of the opinion that review can be done on following grounds:
a. Discovery of new facts.
b. Mistake or error apparenton face of record and
c. Any other sufficient reason
d. It has gone to the solicitor General
e. The Joint Secretary(L) Anand Misra had pointed out that "In view of the huge financial implications and importance of the case, it is proposed to get it assessed by a High Power Committee consisting of Defence Secretary, Secretary, Dept of Expenditure and Secretary (Defence Finance)
f. The RM has approved constitution of the above Committee
g. This Committee has worked out the expenditure as - Arrears on account of pay and pension to be around Rs426 crores and Rs83 crores respectively. Interest @ 6% per annum on these arrears as ordered by the SC to be Rs 1,114.71 crores and the total financial liability comes to around Rs 1,623.71 crores.
h. The case was pursued purely on taking of the above mentioned one-time financial implication and enhanced recurring implication.
i. In nutshell it may be seen that only the financial im0plication was the criteria for the government to seek the review/recall and not the merit of case

Now we should recollect following:
a. The arrears was resulted due to the misinterpretation of the 4 PC orders by the babus
b. The mistakes were corrected and the correction has been ratified by the HC and SC
c. Now the position is that the above amount is due to officers. ie. amount due to the employees of government. It is legally incumbent on the employer ie the government to pay this due to its employees.
d. Government cannot absolve from this liability on a plea that the amount is too high.
e. If the government is not capable of discharging its liability, it has no choice other than declaring itself 'INSOLVENT'. After becoming insolvent, the employees are entitled to seek their dues by REVENUE RECOVERY.

I therefore request the concerned to bear in mind the requirement of the government becoming INSOLVENT to escape the payment and our entitlement to get our dues by REVENUE RECOVERY. I also request the concerned to impress all concerned that the interest of Rs.1,114.71 crores cannot be considered as the expenditure as the entitled interest has always been more than 6% and more than Rs 1114,71 has already gained by government by withholding the dues from us. This is as good as returning our DSOP deposit. This can never be considered as an additional burden. In fact, we should insist payment of interest at market rate from 8-3-2010.
Col NR Kurup (Retd)

Bureaucrats and IESL convolute OROP: Politicians remain confused

All India Ex-Services Welfare Association
Lt Col Inderjit Singh (Retd).
Chairman
Member: Standing Committee of Voluntary Agencies, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India.

Dear Chander,
I read with much concern the way opinions are being expressed on the definition of OROP. My humble appeal to all the wise men please do not confuse the entire matter by expressing different definitions of the OROP. Well I will give you the definition which was evolved while working out the concept and understanding its intricacies and effects, while also taking into consideration the shenanigans of the bureaucracy for scuttling this issue. It is all pervading and has stood the test of times and is accepted in the official circles also. Well here it is...

Definition
"The pre 01 Jan 2006 retirees got the same pensions as the post 01 Jan 2006 retirees by matching up the three factors that govern the pensions of ex servicemen i.e. the rank, the length of service and the trade (in case of all ranks below officer ranks only). After this was effected any future increases be automatically applied to old pensioners. The family, disability and dependents pensions are included for the purposes of this definition. This however does not mean the grant of pensionary benefits such as DCRG (Death Cum Retirement Gratuity) and additional value of commutation pension."

Perhaps you would recall that in my earlier mail, to Mr Sehrawat, i narrated how i got the high level empowered committee appointed in Sep 1991. After my heated exchanges with the RM in his parliament office, he realized that I was talking sense. He then besides requesting me to put up to him a paper about our discussions in two hours time but also desired that I should meet him in his office on subsequent Monday morning so that if there was any clarification necessary he could speak to me before going and making a statement in Parliament.

After my meeting he had another meeting with the bureaucrats on the subject, where he wanted to discuss my projections. The bureaucrats after seeing my paper misled the RM especially about the expenditure involved by including the cost for paying DCRG and additional commutation value. The last two sentences of the definition above in green were added after this meeting so that leadership could not be misled by them in future.

When I landed in his office and met him, his attitude was again very hostile. As soon as I sat down he shot a question to me.

RM: why should we give you pensionary benefits at new rates. We gave you pensionary benefits at old rates when you retired. With that you made your houses, educated your children, and married them off all at old rates. Since you have already met all your family obligations at old rates why should you be given pensionary benefits at new rates?

Self: You are very right Mr Pawar. You gave us pensionary benefits at old rates. With that we built our houses, educated our children. and then married them off all at old rates. We are not seeking from you the pensionary benefits at new rates, we are seeking monthly pensions at new rates, which is for our survival and not meeting family obligations. This is because when we go to market for buying our requirements, the shop keeper does not look up at us to say oh you are old pensioners, I would therefore charge you less. I have to pay the same rates as new pensioner, I therefore should get the same pension as new pensioner.

The RM thanked me for clarifying his doubts, went to the Parliament and announced the HLEC of which i was made a member. This committee was very inclined to give OROP, but for the very bad economic situation, where we had to send our gold to UK to run the country, could not take the final leap. i was however able to work up a deal which took us almost there. The deal of one time increase (oti) by which the gap of new and old pensioner was reduced ranging from Rs 10 to 46.

I hope after this, the argument about the definition would come to an end and our wise friends would stick to this definition and not concoct fresh ones and offer a convenient handle to the bureaucrats to confuse the issue before scuttling it again.

I have just read Gen RN Radhakrishanan mail which he must have taken great pains to write for our benefit. All his questions are answered by this definition. There is no point in wasting time on going through all the rigmarole stated by him as you would notice from what I narrate below.

When we went on hunger strike in 1990, the next day I was called by the PM Mr VP Singh for a meeting on this matter. The earlier one I took up when he was the defense minister in 1987. he had been totally misled by the bureaucrats. When i met him, the first thing he told me was that old records were not available, they were therefore finding it difficult to give OROP. I told him that his bureaucrats were totally misleading him. All records were available with DPDOS, if not there with the CDA, if not there also then with Record Offices. In any case what do we require for working out OROP, the rank, the length of service and for JCOs, NCOs ans Sepoys, the trade also in which they served. these were all available in the discharge books. He was stunned to hear this.

Then he said that many difficulties were coming up for working out officers pensions. I told him that working out officers pensions was even more easy. Supposing you want to work out the pension of an earlier Major with 28 years service, all that is needed is that you work out what will be the current pension of a Major with 28 years and give it to the earlier pensioner. He was again taken aback and promised to do something about this matter. He went back on his promise that is a different matter. He was misled by our great IESL into giving one time ad hoc increase. This we termed as betrayal of our trust by the PM. The great IESL branded it as OROP. If any body wants to see it I can post the paper clippings of these statements i.e. ours as well as that of IESL.

Best wishes and regards,
Lt Col Inderjit Singh
Chairman
All india Ex Services Welfare Association

Rank Pay Anomaly of Fourth Pay Commission being fixed by Supreme Court

Dear Friends,
Jai Hind.
Reference email received from Retired Defence Officers Association, appended below.
The remarks of Justice MK Katju need careful examination.

I feel that Justice Katju wants to use the Rank Pay case as a lever and push the Government to order a separate Pay Commission for Defence Services at the earliest. Even if the Rank Pay case is delayed a little and a separate Pay Commission is ordered at an early date – it will be good for all the Defence Personnel, serving and retired.

Let us hope and pray that the Supreme Court succeeds in their mission to help the Defence Services.

Kindly help in giving wide publicity to the contents of the email of Retired Defence Officers Association appended below.
In service of Indian Military Veterans
Chander Kamboj.

From: RDOA India
Sent: 18 October 2010 19:21
To: "REPORT MY SIGNAL" (CS Kamboj
Subject: Rank Pay Anomaly Case: Latest Update

Dear Sir,
AS ON 18 OCT 2010
The case was heard on 18 Oct 2010 in the court of Justice MK Katju & Justice Thakur.
As of date Justice MK Katju was not inclined to recall /review his order on the petition filed by the UOI. On the contrary Justice MK Katju admonished the Solicitor General on seeking unnecessary extension of time limit and attitude shown by the Govt in resolving anomalies pertaining to pay & allces of the armed forces personnel. He wanted definite inputs from the Govt on the formation of separate pay commission for the armed forces to be headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court with members from the serving as well as the veterans so that issues/anomalies could be resolved expeditiously.

The Judge has given time limit to the UOI till 08 Nov 10 which has been fixed as the next date of hearing. In all probability the case would be disposed off on that day.

It is requested that the update be put on RMS for info of all concerned.
Thanking you
Secy RDOA

ECHS: Threefold increase in subscription rates

3-fold hike in rates of ex-servicemen health plan
Vijay Mohan/TNS

The Tribune Chandigarh, October 17, 2010
The Union government has revised the subscription rates for the Ex-servicemen's Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS). The revision comes about six years after the scheme was first launched for the veterans. The quantum of increase in rates is over three times the existing rates.

Orders issued by the Ministry of Defence on September 29 announcing the increase in the one-time payable rates have been circulated to medical and welfare establishments over the past few days.

The increase in rates, according to sources, is consequent to the hike in salaries and pension of armed forces personnel following the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission. This also comes in the wake of the recent increase in charges levied by the Central Government Health Scheme for civilian pensioners.

The new ECHS rates for all ranks up to havildar and equivalent would have to pay Rs 15,000, with the next slab up to naib subedar being liable to pay Rs 27,000. From subedars up to the rank of major, the revised charges are Rs 39,000 and for lieutenant colonels and above, it would be Rs 60,000.

Earlier, the contribution for those drawing a pension of between Rs 3,000 - 6,000 was Rs 4,800, Rs 8,000 for those drawing Rs 6,001 to Rs 10,000 and for those getting Rs 10,001-Rs 15,000, the rate was Rs 12,000. Veterans drawing a pension of above Rs 15,000 had to pay Rs 18,000.

ECHS was launched in April 2003 and the aim of the scheme was to provide quality medicare to its members and their dependents.
3-fold hike in rates of ex-servicemen health plan

Do Politicians have a legacy? Chanakya sums it all

"A person should not be too honest.
Straight trees are cut first
and Honest people are screwed first...."

"Even if a snake is not poisonous,
it should pretend to be venomous."

"The biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody. ! It will destroy you."

"There is some self-interest behind every friendship.
There is no Friendship without self-interests.
This is a bitter truth."

"Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions - Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. Only when you think deeply
and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead."

"As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it."

"Once you start a working on something,
don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it.
People who work sincerely are the happiest."

"The fragrance of flowers spreads
only in the direction of the wind.
But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction."

"A man is great by deeds, not by birth."

"Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years.
For the next five years, scold them.
By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend.
Your grown up children are your best friends."

"Books are as useful to a stupid person
as a mirror is useful to a blind person."

"Education is the best friend.
An educated person is respected everywhere.
Education beats the beauty and the youth."

Chanakya quotes (Indian politician, strategist and writer, 350 BC- 275 BC)

Lokesh Batra 1971 war veteran- Flag Bearer of RTI Act

Aslam Bhai , President, Nagarik Adhikar Kendra, a Gujarat NGO
With the Panchayat getting the maximum number of visits by members of a village, the NAK hit upon the novel idea of painting the mandatory disclosures under RTI on the walls of the Panchayat building. While Section 4 (1) (b) of the Act lists 17 types of information which must be voluntarily disclosed by a public authority, this list is displayed on a department's website, inaccessible to the mass of villagers who usually have no access to a computer. In 2009 NAK put up a template on the walls of 22 village panchayats in Panchmahals district along with similar templates in the village ration shop, the nearest PHC, local government schools. When they did the same for 15 villages in neighbouring Dahod district, the district administration sat up and took note. 200 villages in Dahod district were then instructed to replicate the wall painting template and spread the RTI word.

Lokesh Batra, 1971 war veteran actively involved in taking up social issues
It is a full five years after the enactment of the RTI Act that all 37 passport offices in the country are in tune with it. A sustained campaign by Retd Commodore Batra ensured that they complied with Section 4 of the Act which lists the 17 types of information which every public authority must disclose. He is also in the middle of a campaign to ensure that Indians who travel abroad do not lose out on their RTI rights.

Indian citizens living abroad are unable to access information as per their right in the absence of procedure/rules to be framed by the government for payment of RTI fees in foreign currency. Retd Comm Batra, who stays in Noida, also led a spirited campaign at the time of the Nithari killings bringing out the failure of the authorities. His latest campaign involves an RTI application to the PMO and MoEF to formulate a Green Buildings Code for govt buildings.
Flag-bearers of RTI Act: The Economic Times

A Slipshod Way to treat Defence Veterans

It has been seen in the past few months that the defence veterans have been protesting do draw attention of this sleeping Government of India, for seeking justice to their legitimate demands for One Rank One Pension (OROP) agreed a number of times by the past ruling governments, by returning their hard earned gallantry medals, as well as signing the protests in their own blood. The protests in the eyes of all citizens of the country are conducted in a most dignified and peaceful manner.

However, a very small fraction of people who look down upon these gallant soldiers as some sort of rivals, unfortunately have remarked this form of protest by them as a new low in the abominable acts, unconventional methods of dissent for communication with the government and of not conducting these activities in a civilized manner. Could anyone in this country suggest a proper form of protest, better than the one adopted by these veterans? Is it by any chance unlawful or unjustified to hold peaceful protests to seek proper justice from their Supreme Commander and their government whose integrity they have upheld all along?

The Government and its worthless, indifferent, incapable and corrupt machinery down the line, which does not allow even the judiciary to carry out its lawful functions, could not be blind to the dignified ways and means adopted by the defence veterans to seek justice from the government. It is most unfortunate, to bring to the kind notice of one and all, that all the previous governments have forgotten the gallantry and sacrifices of its past soldiers, who have exclusively kept the country together in spite of the malafide intentions of many to disintegrate the country. The indifferent attitude of the present UPA Government towards its gallant and dignified defence veterans is yet another example of ignoring the injustices perpetrated upon them.

Is it not a debatable issue that neither India’s so called Supreme Commander, nor anyone else in the Indian Government, has had the time to spare, for these gallant men to listen to their long pending grievances and understand them, leave alone attend to them in a judicious manner. Their signatures in blood and their surrendering gallantry medals have been blatantly ignored and have failed to move anyone including the Supreme Commander. Instead their feelings of disgust and protest have been considered as lacking in dignity. Perhaps, they have forgotten the actions and sacrifices of their forefathers who fought tooth and nail for earning freedom for this country.

There is no doubt that these gallant men are deeply respected and adored from the bottom of their hearts by majority of Indian citizens, who know their capabilities and achievements in all spheres of national activity. They can well understand their pain and unhappiness upon the cognisable neglect shown by the Indian government towards their problems and failing in their responsibility of undoing the injustices heaped upon them. Incidentally, so far Punjab Government is the only State Government in the country whose, all party MLAs have respected and realised their just demands, and passed a resolution unanimously in the Assembly, for grant of OROP to them. Would some other State Governments take the clue of Punjab Government on similar lines.

Is it not improper by the successive governments, to ungratefully deny the gallant, and dependable defence forces of India and their past soldiers, an equally dignified and honourable existence during their retired lives, in return for their unflinching selfless service rendered to the nation, even at the peril of their life. This unjust precedence seems to have become a part and parcel of the government policies towards the defence veterans, and a clear cut example of false promises, wrong announcements (even in Presidential addresses and budget speeches) hoodwinking and total indifference towards upholding their dignity and fulfilling their just needs. The government seems to be lacking a genuine interest towards solving their justified and genuine problems and have closed their eyes completely to the peaceful protests and demands of these gallant men, at the behest of sycophant, lazy, misguiding, highly irresponsible, incapable, corrupt and self serving bureaucracy.

The same government could not oppose the 300% to 500% increase in the salary of the public representatives in less than a week, majority of whom have already amassed unlimited wealth from the citizens of the country. It seems to be the priority of this government to deny, the deserving defence veterans, who have toiled endlessly and have been struggling for this just demand for nearly 26 years. This would at best help in restoring partially their regularly deteriorating honour and dignity, besides an increase of may be 20% to 30% in their pensions to make their life a bit more liveable in the dusk of their lives. The government has been so liberal to grant 3 to 5 folds increments to their already crorepati MPs.

It would be worth mentioning and appreciating the action of only one MP amongst them ie Mr Rajeev Chandrashekhar, in refusing increment in favour of defence veterans cause. It is not only courageous but highly commendable and it is wished that some more who see the defence forces in higher esteem could follow his example.

The government and the bureaucracy who invariably misguides it, seem to be the only set ups within the country, who do not have genuine interests and feelings towards the grievances of the defence forces at heart, because they do not understand high level of their character and their system of functioning. It is done on the premise, that they will as always, take everything offered to them lying down, in view of their disciplined and un protesting approach to Government actions. Their acts in denying what they deserve give a fair indication of the bureaucracy’s mindset.

I would like to pose a question, whether the role of the governments is to assist their subjects in solving their problems and to ensure their welfare, or to oppose and obstruct their cause, or to harass them by ignoring their genuine grievances, especially even when the courts have ruled in their favour.

To me it appears that the dispassionate ministerial staff and subordinates in the national capital who are never or dare not be moved out of Delhi, are the main accomplices of the bureaucracy and major villains in such matters. Their aim seems only to get everything what they want and to deny all others what they genuinely deserve. Such is the class of people in whose hands destiny of the defence forces and their veterans is entrusted. Unfortunately, this meanest class of people in the ministries exploits the defence services to the core in a manner treating them as national enemies and not those who defend the nation and uphold its integrity. Is it by chance an indication of good governance?

The Rank Pay Case of the 4th Central Pay Commission (4CPC) is a striking example in point, to prove the unsporting behaviour of the ruling government and the bureaucracy to unduly delay/deny the benefits to the affected lot as a result of this anomaly. The defence personnel who have already earned the benefits of the 4CPC way back since, 1 January 1986, have mischievously been denied the benefits all these years and despite a Supreme Court ruling in their favour on 8 March 2010. Unfortunately, the benefits have still been held up because some smart Babu in the concerned Ministry decided to file a petition against this ruling.

Indian government has certainly not become a pauper, that they are unable to disburse these dues to the affected defence personnel, which should have been given to them years back. Can any right thinking person apprehend the reason or compelling circumstances or the mentality to obstruct and deny the benefits already earned by the affected and deserving soldiers, by filing another petition in the Supreme Court. The Government is not poor and can certainly afford to spend over Rs 70,000 Crores for a gigantic show of 12 days duration. Is it really an indication of good governance?

The bureaucracy has always been making attempts to justify the step motherly treatment being given by the government so far to the cause of the defence veterans. Their attitude gives a strong feeling that it may take years before the just demand would ever be fulfilled. Of course by then the government would feel satisfied, relieved and take pleasure in getting the news that most of its gallant warriors of yester years do not now exist in this world and would not be there to demand OROP, which seems to be pinching its soul like no other demand from any other quarters, as also to save a fraction of their meagre finances from giving to the defence veterans. Government is least concerned about the billions of dollars stashed away in foreign banks by its corrupt citizens.

Finally, I would like to submit to the representatives of the Government that if they have even the slightest of respect and a heart to feel for these gallant and brave ex soldiers of this country, they should instead of ignoring their dignified protests, do something worthwhile for them without making unjustified excuses ie to get them the benefits of OROP and solve the anomaly of Rank Pay, resulting after the 4CPC, so that they remember and respect them as their true representatives and not hate them for their mean mentality till posterity.
Col LK Anand (Retd)

Village gets electricity 63 years after independence

Madhya Pradesh village gets electricity 63 years after independence
Press Trust of India, Updated: October 17, 2010 22:14 IST
Indore: Nearly 63 years after Independence, a village situated on a hillock near Indore, got its first ever electricity connection.
Koparwel, a tiny village with 20 households, broke into jubilation with the lighting of a bulb in one of its huts this Friday.
Ambaram is the first villager to get the electricity connection.
No sooner was his house brightened by a CFL bulb, villagers worshipped the instrument, distributed "prasad" and burst firecrackers. "It is a matter of joy that electricity has come to our village," Ambaram said.
Children are happy that they will have electricity to study at night and bid adieu to lanterns shortly while the youths are glad that they will not have to go to neighbouring village to charge their cell phone batteries, he said.
However, it was not an easy task to electrify Koparwel.
"It was a challenge to electrify Ambaram's place given that the village is situated on the hilltop," Madhya Pradesh Western Distribution Company Limited (MPWDCL) Chief Engineer Sanjay Mohase said.
In two to four days, other houses in the village too will get electricity connection, he said.
Read more at: click here

CRPF masquerading as a paramilitary force

Specialised Force for Internal Unrests
By Maj Gen Mrinal Suman
IDR Issue: Vol 25.4 Oct-Dec 2010 | Date: 11 October, 2010
Policy and methodology to counter the Naxalite threat have been subjects of intense debate recently. Army’s reluctance to get embroiled has been questioned in some government quarters. Sadly, opinions are being expressed, both by military and non-military experts, more as short term fire-fighting solutions rather than well analysed long term strategy.

It requires no crystal gazing to foresee increasing unrest amongst various sections of Indian society. Awareness has fired the urge of the people for a higher standard of living and enhanced opportunities for advancement. As the country fails to ensure that fruits of development get equitably and evenly distributed across the complete spectrum of society, disadvantaged segments lose confidence in the fairness of governance. They resort to violent means to wrest their perceived share of resources from an apathetic government. Naxalite unrest is a manifestation of the same challenge to the lawful authority of the state. Needless to say, in addition to effective use of force, convincing measures have to be initiated at political, economical, social and cultural levels to restore credibility of governance amongst the aggrieved people.

This article restricts itself to the nature and type of force that should be employed to counter Naxalites. As the alienated populace is highly motivated and possesses intimate knowledge of the local terrain, a well equipped and suitably trained force becomes an absolute necessity. India has three broad options open to it – employment of an existing central police force (CPO) with additional training and equipment; deployment of the Army to crush armed resistance; and raising of a special force for the assignment. Each of these have been analysed below to identify the most suitable option.

Use of CPO
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is currently countering the Naxalites. CRPF came into existence as Crown Representative’s Police on 27th July 1939. It became the Central Reserve Police Force on enactment of the CRPF Act on 28th December 1949. Over the last sixty years, it has grown into sizeable entity with 207 battalions. It is a federal law enforcement agency and a police force. It has been organised, equipped, structured and trained to supplement efforts of state police forces in the maintenance of law and order.

... it is an unwritten convention in the Indian Army that an officer always leads from the front – he is the first one to step into a danger zone. No officer thinks twice about it.

Presently, a crisis of identity is overwhelming CRPF. A part of the blame for the prevailing confusion about its exact character can be apportioned to CRPF itself. Symptomatic of the same is the message of its Director General on its website. To start with, he refers to CRPF as one of the ‘Para Military Police Force’ of the Nation and subsequently calls it as the most experienced ‘Armed Police Force’ of the country. Apparently, the organisation does not know where to position itself. There can never be a ‘paramilitary police force’ – a force is either a paramilitary force or a police force. The term paramilitary police force is self-contradictory, dichotomist in substance, paradoxical in nature and ambivalent in identity.

It must be understood that a true paramilitary force is an auxiliary force whose function and structure are similar to those of a regular military force. In other words, it should be capable of acting as an adjunct to regular military. CRPF, by no stretch of imagination, can be called a paramilitary force. With a view to garner enhanced status and to demand equivalence with the armed forces, it has been masquerading as a paramilitary force. Resultantly, it has got trapped in the self created delusion that it can perform like a paramilitary force.

Read More: click here

CWG: Sports Structures in Shambles

Learning from CWG
Business standard Sunday, Oct 17, 2010
Instead of learning from the forces, are we doing to defence what we did to sports
Suresh Bangara / October 15, 2010, 0:20 IST
If India can organise a Republic Day parade every year with great efficiency, and could recently host successfully World Military Games, why did it mess up the organisation of the Commonwealth Games (CWG)?

What is common to successful mass events is an empowered structure with clear demarcation of responsibility and accountability. The CWG failed due to an absence of a centralised command structure. Responsibilities were not demarcated, there were too many “Indians” and no chiefs, and, what is more, everyone had an excuse not to own up responsibility.

November 13, 2003 was the date on which the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) resolved to hand over the Games to Delhi. In accordance with article 10A, the host city contract was inked by the Government of India (GoI), the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi(GNCTD), the IOA and the CGF. The organisation of the entire event was allotted to the Organising Committee (OC) of the CWG.

The key delivery partners listed on the website are the CGF, the IOA, the OC CWG, the GNCTD and the GoI in that order. It also states that several ministries of the GoI and several organisations under the GNCTD and others would be involved in execution.

Even a prima facie analysis of this structure would point to the fact that the coordination of such a complex body cannot be vested with a committee which has no authority over the key delivery partners. In the Indian context, hierarchy and individual egos play a vital role in the smooth functioning of the organisation. At times, collective organisational goals are sacrificed to appease individual aspirations. Presumably, these considerations caused undue delays of about two years before the OC came into existence on February 10, 2005 — a faulty and toothless structure from day one.

Although representatives of all the delivery partners were constituted on the committee, raising alarms at the CWG meetings, when deadline after deadline failed to be met by their parent organisation, is not a practical proposition. Having taken full responsibility for staging the best ever Games, as outlined on the website, the OC perhaps continued at best as a mute spectator to inter-ministerial red tape and embarrassing delays in execution.

What is needed in the globalised, highly competitive and demanding environment is to professionalise our decision-making structures to include experts in negotiations, project management and other niche areas.

A look at the ministry which manages the armed forces of India in the above context would be instructive. The defence ministry has the responsibility to handle the rapidly increasing defence budget, which is more than twice the amount allotted to the CWG, but on a yearly basis. Is it structured to meet all the requirements of the armed forces of India?

First, since 1952, the three chiefs along with their headquarters were removed from the decision-making structure of the GoI. They were designated as the “attached offices” of the ministry. In effect, all communications from the armed forces were to be addressed only to the ministry and no decision-making power and executive power was to reside with the chiefs, save those related to operations. Not even the revenue budget could be operated by the chief to merely run the service as it existed. The chiefs could send their recommendations and plans for modernisation, which effectively rested at the table of some functionary without even an acknowledgement. The ministry continued to be manned by generalists — civil servants who often learnt about the armed forces after they were placed in the chair.

While the authority to take decisions with the concurrence of the minister was vested with the ministry, there were no provisions for accountability. Having been removed from the chain, the chiefs could only make proposals and could not be held accountable. The procurement of Advanced Jet Trainers(AJTs) for the Air Force took over two decades, by which time costs had escalated by 500 per cent. The decision to induct Gorshkov took over a decade, by which time the deteriorating cables of the ship warranted doubling of the original cost. Many thousand crores are surrendered unspent year after year despite the urgent operational needs of the Army. There are no clear-cut penalties for procrastination and opportunity costs incurred thereof. Are these not the ills of the CWG as well?

Second, integration of the ministry with the armed forces by placing uniformed professionals at appropriate desks of the ministry is a successful model practised by other democracies. Similar structures were recommended by the Committee on Defence Management after the Kargil war. Cosmetic changes in nomenclature with no corresponding powers were the only action taken to show compliance.

Thirdly, the Kargil Review Committee did recommend the creation of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as a single-point adviser to the defence minister on all matters of planning, acquisition etc. This has been stalled by status quo-ists within and without the armed forces. The result is the continuation of a toothless Chiefs of Staff Committee, which was first recommended in 1924 and which is still in existence only in India. Almost all armed forces of countries that matter have opted for a fully integrated structure with accountability, while we continue to live in denial of a serious structural infirmity.

The CWG 2010 has brought disrepute to the country due to delays in implementation despite seven years to prepare. We can live with it, for soon it will be forgotten. However, continued denial of structural weaknesses in the defence department has the potential to lay our country in the dust. Until then, incapability to modernise, lack of timely decision coupled with conflicting demands of the three services can only be offset by the ability of our officers and soldiers to lay down their lives — even if it is to achieve a pyrrhic victory.

The author is a retired admiral of the Indian Navy
Learning from CWG