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 However, when I approached the authorities, I was informed that "since the 33 year conditionality has been withdrawn, the 'weightage' has been abolished by the government."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!

Weekly Pentagon Ceremony to honour the war wounded

Friends,
The ceremony described below held at the Pentagon every Friday is worth emulating in South Block, Sena Bhawan and Vayu Bhawan; may be once a month or once a quarter. It will have excellent effect on morale.
Harbhajan Singh
Lt Gen (Retd) PVSM
Signal Officer-in-Chief 1988-91

Friday morning at the Pentagon By JOSEPH L. GALLOWAY, McClatchy Newspapers
Over the last 12 months, 1,042 soldiers, Marines, sailors and Air Force personnel have given their lives in the terrible duty that is war. Thousands more have come home on stretchers, horribly wounded and facing months or years in military hospitals.

This week, I’m turning my space over to a good friend and former roommate, Army Lt. Col. Robert Bateman, who recently completed a year long tour of duty in Iraq and is now back at the Pentagon. Here’s Lt. Col. Bateman’s account of a little-known ceremony that fills the halls of the Army corridor of the Pentagon with cheers, applause and many tears every Friday morning. It first appeared on May 17 on the Weblog of media critic and pundit Eric Alterman at the Media Matters for America Website.
Kindly click link below for the full details of the weekly Pentagon Ceremony to honour the war wounded
Friday Morning at the Pentagon
Friday Morning at the Pentagon

Women officers in armed forces win historic battle

Fri, Mar 12, 2010 at 12:51
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday ordered the grant of permanent commission in the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) to over 50 women officers who had accused the government of discrimination vis-a-vis their male counterparts.

A division bench of Justices S K Kaul and M P Garg also ordered the reinstatement of all short service commission women officers who retired and approached the court seeking permanent commission in the forces.

The court, in its 32-page order, directed the government to reinstate those officers who retired while the case was being heard.

Short service commission officers serve for a maximum of 14 years while male officers granted permanent commission can be in the forces up to the age of 60, depending on the rank they rise to.

An elated Rekha Pali, counsel for the women officers, cried: "It's a big victory for all of us!"

Women officers hailed the decision.

Wing Commander Rekha Aggrawal, who served in the IAF from 1995 to 2009, said: "I am very glad now. I will again join the office. I want to serve my nation."

"Our three-year-long battle has finally become fruitful. The court has finally understood the disparity that women officers in the army face," Major Seema Singh added.

Major Singh praised the passage of the women's reservation bill in the Rajya Sabha and said that Friday's judgement "will also boost the morale of women".

Women are currently eligible for permanent commission only in the medical, nursing and dental services of the armed forces. They are eligible for short service commission in the services as in support arms of the armed forces.

Currently, 5,137 women officers serve in the armed forces. They include 4,101 in the Indian Army, 784 in IAF, and 252 in Indian Navy. This includes women granted permanent commission in the Army Medical Corps, the Army Dental Corps and their equivalents in the other two services as also in the Military Nursing Services.

In the army, women serve in support arms like the Corps of Signals, Army Ordinance Corps, the Corps of Electronic and Mechanical Engineers, and the Army Service Corps.

In the Indian Air Force, women are inducted in all streams barring the fighter stream. In the Indian Navy there are restrictions on posting women officers aboard ships and submarines.

Most militaries worldwide induct women but only a few allow them to perform active combat roles. Among these countries are Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Norway and Switzerland.

Countries like Britain and Israel allow women to serve in combat arms positions like artillery roles but exclude them from infantry units. The US allows women in most combat flying positions.
Women officers in armed forces win historic battle