IESM: OROP riders needs to be dissolved

We seem to be getting into a rather involved debate with a lot of riders to take care of individual cases. Getting into uncharted waters like sorting out how much pension each person should get according to his service, rank, service in rank and responsibility in that rank is going to cause confusion in which the winners are going to be only the bureaucrats. As they will be able to delay the resolution of our requirement.

I have added responsibilty, because very soon I will say that I commanded a unit as a Lt Col so my pension should be the same as a Col who commands it now. A head of an Arm or service used to be Brig many yrs ago. Can brigs who were Directors earlier ask for a Lt Gen's pension because the responsibility is the same? We really will be opening a pandora's box and postpone OROP till kingdom come!

I feel we should keep it simple- Same pension as a person retiring today, holding a similar rank. Seeing the minimum qualifying service for each rank, I am sure each one of us achieves it by the time we retire. I am aware that some of us will be benefitted more than others, but a vast majority will benefit. I remember, when I was a Maj Gen, I raised the issue with the AG, a few months before the 4th Pay Commission Award, that AHQ should bid for PSOs to be made equivalent to Spl Secys/ DGAFMS as they were responsible for 2-4 Lt Gens under them. The AG's response was that "how can a non gen cadre offr become a grade higher than a Corps Cdr?", because the then MGO was an EME offr! So due to narrow minded/ shortsightedness of an offr we denied the Service a few extra vacancies in a higher rank.
Satish
(Lt Gen SK Bahri, 1st JSW Course)

Comments
1. I fully agree with Gen S K Bahri on OROP Issue. 'Simplicity' in concept, planning and implementation should be considered in view of the complexity of the Issue in the background of Cadre System of the Govt with special dispensation to the Armed Forces.

2. A separate Pay Commission for the Armed Forces, as per me, is a retrograde step. This may result in 'undue delays' in its approval. We must remain part of the 'main stream' with proviso to nominate a senior officer(s) on the Panel.

3. Is it very difficult to define OROP in concert with Dept. of ESM Welfare? Various
ESM Organisations need not have their own definitions.
Regards,
Brig Sukhwindar Singh (Retd)
www.IndianDefenceIndustry.com