3-fold hike in Sainik welfare Budget- Non-plan expenses up 11 pc by Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 14
Though no new welfare schemes have been announced, a three-fold increase in the planned expenditure by the Department of Defence Services Welfare has been proposed in the state Budget for 2011-12, while the department’s non-planned Budget is earmarked to rise by about 11 per cent.
The non-planned Budget, which relates to establishment-oriented expenditure and recurring expenses, has been pegged at Rs 23.5 crore for the coming fiscal as compared to Rs 21.1 crore for 2010-11.
Similarly, the planned expenditure, which relates to various welfare schemes and other projects introduced or approved by the state government from time to time, is set to rise to Rs 13 crore from Rs 4.1 crore.
The combined expenditure for this department for 2011-12 is pegged at Rs 36.5 crore vis-à-vis Rs 25.2 crore for 2010-11, representing an overall increase of over Rs 11 crore or close to 45 per cent. Punjab has 2.87 lakh ex-servicemen and 53,000 widows.
For the next fiscal, Rs 2 crore has been proposed to meet the expenditure relating to grant of Rs 5 lakh to next of kin of battle casualties in lieu of a plot. Last year the Budget on this account was Rs 4 crore. Departmental sources said that as of now there were no pending cases in the state on this account and payments would be made as and when fresh cases came in. However, the cases for grant of land to 28 war widows of the 1971 Indo-Pak war have still not been resolved.
The planned segment proposed today also includes Rs 6 crore for the construction of Sainik Rest House and Maharaja Ranjit Singh War Museum at Ludhiana. Coaching classes for entry into service academies, training of wards of ex-servicemen, grant to Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre and ex-gratia to families of martyrs are among schemes falling in this segment. The increase in the Budget also caters to 40 per cent hike in the allowances of gallantry award winners introduced in December 2010 and grant of Rs 1 lakh announced last year to every candidate who enters a service academy for training as an officer.
3-fold hike in Sainik welfare Budget
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Demand for One Rank One Pension- Budget wish list of Veterans
Role for Indian Veterans
Military veterans are a body of relatively young, physically fit, disciplined men, experienced in work in difficult, risky and dangerous conditions. They have special economic problems on retirement from military service because of their young age (32-40 years) at retirement. This has led to repeated peaceful demands over decades for one-rank-one-pension (OROP), which have been systematically neglected by successive governments.
If veterans engage peacefully in national issues in addition to their on-going OROP demand, it can influence the general public and through them, governments, to deliver better governance within India's constitutional framework, especially in the north-eastern states and Kashmir, and in the central Indian states that are increasingly subject to police repression of Maoist violence. The present article suggests the wider benefits that may accrue from such national involvement of veterans.
About the Author
Major General S.G. Vombatkere retired as the Additional Director General, Discipline & Vigilance in Army HQ, New Delhi , after 35 years in the Indian Army with combat, staff and technical experience. The President of India awarded him the Visishta Seva Medal in 1993 for distinguished service rendered in Ladakh. He holds a Ph.D degree in Structural Dynamics from IIT, Madras . He coordinates and lectures a Course on Science, Technology and Sustainable Development for undergraduate students of University of Iowa , USA , and two universities of Canada, who spend a semester at Mysore as part of their Studies Abroad in South India. He is Adjunct Associate Professor of the University of Iowa.
National Role For India's Veterans- click here to read the full article
Adarsh Scam: Defence ministry says land title not in its name
Prafulla Marpakwar, TNN | Mar 19, 2011, 12.04am IST
MUMBAI: In a new twist to the row over the ownership of a prime plot of land allotted to the scam-rocked Adarsh society, the defence ministry has submitted that it does not reflect in the military register. The ministry also said the title of the land was not recorded in its name.
The startling submission was made by defence ministry under-secretary K B Nayyar in response to a writ petition filed by the Adarsh cooperative housing society against the state government, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the ministry.
"Although the plot does not reflect in the military land register, the ministry is considering adopting appropriate proceedings to assert its title over the land once the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe is complete. At this stage, I therefore do not deal with the society's assertions of title although none of them are admitted by me," Nayyar said in a 22-page affidavit before the Bombay high court on January 24, 2011.
Nayyar said merely because the plot was not reflected in the military land register, it did not mean that the ministry of defence was not its owner and that the entry in favour of the society in the property card cannot confer the title on the petitioners.
Nayyar said the right to own, possess and occupy land in the reclaimed block VI of Colaba was created in favour of the defence ministry by the state government. However, the state government did not formally record the title of any land to the ministry of defence in lieu of defence land from the Santa Cruz rifle range, nor did it pay the armed forces anything for the defence land at Santa Cruz.
Nayyar submitted that the army was in "occupation and possession" of the Adarsh land, until possession of the plot was obtained by the state government and allotted to the society.
"It appears that officers of the defence estate issued letters falsely stating the plot was the state government's. The ministry has asked the CBI to probe the matter, and it is expected that the questions, like why the letters were issued, why the army officers did not object to the plot being allotted to the society and how the state government/society obtained possession, will be probed by the CBI," Nayyar submitted.
The case filed by the CBI appears to be based on the contention of the defence ministry that the land belongs to it.
The Mumbai collector has already submitted that the land belongs to the state government, but it was in the defence ministry's possession. Notwithstanding the contention of the Mumbai collector and defence ministry, the state government set up a commission under the Commission of Inquiry Act to probe if the land allotted to Adarsh society belonged to the state government, any other person or organization.
Defence ministry says land title not in its name
Comment: Savvy (Mumbai)
15 hrs ago (02:47 PM)
The plot was always under Army occupation and completely within the security area of Colaba. If it was state land, why no action was taken by the State Govt when the Kukri park was inaugurated the then GOC Maj Gen Cariappa in 1996. There are many many cases where the state govt revenue department do not bother to carry out mutation of land title even after decades. However, one important point which has so far not recieved the deserved attention is the business angle. The main game and main objective of the core group of Adarsh, that is RC Thakur, Gidwani, Brig Wanchu, Commander Pilo, Maj Gen Kaul etc will have additional benami flats for the purpose of selling and make very huge profits. Maj Gen Kaul is known to have 3 flats- straightaway 30 crores and now Gidwani is also exposed. One is doubtful also how much money these people have paid officially as they have been the main people processing the case and giving protection. THERE IS NO FREE SERVICE. But yes finally they are exposed. Although the money involved in the scam may not be as huge as 2G or other scams, but this is an unique scam in the sense that in post independent India- there is not a single case where 2 army chiefs, one vice chief, one GOC in C, many Generals and Brigadiers, one naval chief, vice Admirals, 3 Chief Ministers, sundry politicians, a dozen senior IAS officers and others bureucrats were involved. Fortunately nobody from the media and judiciary.
MUMBAI: In a new twist to the row over the ownership of a prime plot of land allotted to the scam-rocked Adarsh society, the defence ministry has submitted that it does not reflect in the military register. The ministry also said the title of the land was not recorded in its name.
The startling submission was made by defence ministry under-secretary K B Nayyar in response to a writ petition filed by the Adarsh cooperative housing society against the state government, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the ministry.
"Although the plot does not reflect in the military land register, the ministry is considering adopting appropriate proceedings to assert its title over the land once the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe is complete. At this stage, I therefore do not deal with the society's assertions of title although none of them are admitted by me," Nayyar said in a 22-page affidavit before the Bombay high court on January 24, 2011.
Nayyar said merely because the plot was not reflected in the military land register, it did not mean that the ministry of defence was not its owner and that the entry in favour of the society in the property card cannot confer the title on the petitioners.
Nayyar said the right to own, possess and occupy land in the reclaimed block VI of Colaba was created in favour of the defence ministry by the state government. However, the state government did not formally record the title of any land to the ministry of defence in lieu of defence land from the Santa Cruz rifle range, nor did it pay the armed forces anything for the defence land at Santa Cruz.
Nayyar submitted that the army was in "occupation and possession" of the Adarsh land, until possession of the plot was obtained by the state government and allotted to the society.
"It appears that officers of the defence estate issued letters falsely stating the plot was the state government's. The ministry has asked the CBI to probe the matter, and it is expected that the questions, like why the letters were issued, why the army officers did not object to the plot being allotted to the society and how the state government/society obtained possession, will be probed by the CBI," Nayyar submitted.
The case filed by the CBI appears to be based on the contention of the defence ministry that the land belongs to it.
The Mumbai collector has already submitted that the land belongs to the state government, but it was in the defence ministry's possession. Notwithstanding the contention of the Mumbai collector and defence ministry, the state government set up a commission under the Commission of Inquiry Act to probe if the land allotted to Adarsh society belonged to the state government, any other person or organization.
Defence ministry says land title not in its name
Comment: Savvy (Mumbai)
15 hrs ago (02:47 PM)
The plot was always under Army occupation and completely within the security area of Colaba. If it was state land, why no action was taken by the State Govt when the Kukri park was inaugurated the then GOC Maj Gen Cariappa in 1996. There are many many cases where the state govt revenue department do not bother to carry out mutation of land title even after decades. However, one important point which has so far not recieved the deserved attention is the business angle. The main game and main objective of the core group of Adarsh, that is RC Thakur, Gidwani, Brig Wanchu, Commander Pilo, Maj Gen Kaul etc will have additional benami flats for the purpose of selling and make very huge profits. Maj Gen Kaul is known to have 3 flats- straightaway 30 crores and now Gidwani is also exposed. One is doubtful also how much money these people have paid officially as they have been the main people processing the case and giving protection. THERE IS NO FREE SERVICE. But yes finally they are exposed. Although the money involved in the scam may not be as huge as 2G or other scams, but this is an unique scam in the sense that in post independent India- there is not a single case where 2 army chiefs, one vice chief, one GOC in C, many Generals and Brigadiers, one naval chief, vice Admirals, 3 Chief Ministers, sundry politicians, a dozen senior IAS officers and others bureucrats were involved. Fortunately nobody from the media and judiciary.
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