Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 12, 2008
The pension of colonels retiring from January 1, 2006, is more that that of lieutenant generals who had retired prior to January 1, 1996. The revised pension fixed for a lieutenant general who retired before 1996 is Rs 26,150 per month, while that of a colonel retiring from 2006 onwards is Rs 30,375.
A perusal of the latest government letter on pension issued by the ministry of defence reveals similar disparities exist in the pensions of armed forces personnel down the line who had retired at different times.
These disparities are now not expected to be resolved anytime soon with the defence minister A.K. Antony ruling out implementation of the “one rank-one pension” scheme.
“The government has not found acceptable, the demand of ex-servicemen for one rank one pension,” Antony stated in a written reply to MP Kalraj Mishra in the Rajya Sabha yesterday.
The pension of a pre-1996 major fixed at Rs 14,464 is now almost Rs 1,500 lower to that of a lieutenant, the Army’s junior most officer. Similarly placed lieutenant colonels would draw Rs 17,063 while recently retiring captains would get Rs 17,865.
Disparities also exist in the ranks. To cite an example, a havildar retiring before 1996 after having put in about 18 years’ service would get Rs 5,008 whereas a post -2006 retiree sepoy, the lowest in the rung, would get Rs 6,860.
The crux of the disparities lies in differences in pay scales fixed by successive pay commissions. One Rank-One Pension had been a major demand by ex-servicemen over the years and the several defence ministers in the past had announced that it would be implemented.
Following the implementation of the Fifth Pay Commission recommendations in 1998, the pension of some major generals was fixed at rates lower that that of brigadiers. They had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking higher pension and the court had ruled in their favour. The Supreme Court upheld the HC decision a few months ago. According to informed sources, the ministry of defence is yet to implement the court orders.
Vijay Mohan
Pension of Generals less than Colonels
Filling the submarine gap
13 hours ago
No comments:
Post a Comment