Finance Minister will bury the OROP forever

OROP and Babus
To now order a special committee of babus to look into old grievances and anomalies in pay scales of serving soldiers, resulting from the 6th Pay Commission after four years defies logic.
More so against the backdrop of the Supreme Court having rejected the soldiers repeated pleas to redress their problems is another one of the farcical games the Government plays with its forces.
Clearly, the soldiers are being fooled by the powers-that-be once again as the 2014 elections are barely two years away. Think. The composition of the committee ensures that no worthwhile purpose will be served by it. As neither serving nor any retired soldier has been co-opted as a member.
In fact, the panel’s present members are the bureaucracy’s henchmen who will do no good, except delay results, both soldiers and veterans are eagerly awaiting.
Pertinently recently the three service Chiefs, led by Admiral Nirmal Verma, Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC) along-with his colleagues, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne and Army Chief General Bikram Singh gave a detailed presentation to the Committee of Secretaries to resolve anomalies in the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission award for the Armed Forces. Appended to this were strong demands from ex-servicemen and from acting servicemen for implementation of the one-rank-one-pay principle.
Now with Chidambaram back in the saddle and in his old shoe as the Finance Minister nothing fruitful is likely to emerge. FM is a deft player and he knows where to get money- cheat the Military!

Throw corrupt out of power: Gen V K Singh

Throw corrupt out of power: Gen V K Singh from Anna's dais
August 03, 2012 20:46 IST
Lending his support to Anna Hazare's movement against corruption, former army chief Gen V K Singh on Friday asked the people to "throw" the corrupt out of power and support the alternative political force sponsored by the activist.
Making his first public appearance in New Delhi [ Images ] since retiring from the Army and sharing the dais with Hazare at his hunger strike site, Singh spoke at length about how sepoys are treated in the army and the kind of training they undergo to tackle any kind of disaster or problem.
The former army chief, who was among the 22 eminent personalities who appealed to Hazare and other activists to end their fast, asked the people to travel to every village in the country and spread awareness about corruption, its ill-effects and the alternative political force.
"It is in your hands. The right to vote is with you. You can throw the corrupt people out. Annaji is providing an alternative political force. Go to every village and spread awareness among people," Singh, who had a confrontation with the government on his age issue, said. He also spoke about the J P movement of 1970s and said the famous slogan 'Quit the Throne, Public has arrived' is apt in today's atmosphere.
"You have the same slogan and you all have the same alternative. Once again revive the slogan of JP," he said.
Heaping praises on the army, especially its men, Gen Singh said he was speaking as a sepoy and went on to add "when everything fails, if a bridge collapse or someone falls into a drain, we are called."
"I thank Anna Hazare and others for heeding to our appeal and ending the fast. Other than corruption, the issues, which are concerning the nation are black money, law and order, weakening Rupee and inflation. There is no governance and it has become directionless," Gen Singh said.
"When people in the army can work like this, why can't people in the administration do the same? We make everything work in the army. If we have the same will and desire, we can bring a change in the country," Gen Singh said.
He said Hazare and others had to end the fast to bring "right kind" of democracy in the country. "Remember one thing. Whenever there is an administration and you protest against it with your chest open to correct their mistakes, then those who are non-democratic and those who run false democracy attack you and try to malign your name," he said.
Gen Singh said the agitation was for "saving the country from corruption as there is no other way."
Throw corrupt out of power: Gen V K Singh

Lt Gen Jatinder Singh to be probed by CBI

NDA jobs scam: CBI gets nod for probe against Lt Gen
Rahul Tripathi : New Delhi, Wed Aug 01 2012, 02:17 hrs
The CBI has got the Defence Ministry’s permission to initiate a probe against the former commandant of the National Defence Academy, Lt Gen Jatinder Singh, in the alleged recruitment racket (NDA jobs scam).
Earlier this month, the investigating agency arrested seven persons, including two Colonels, in this connection.
The CBI had sought MoD’s permission to question Singh, after reportedly establishing a “money trail” connecting him and his brother to the scam.
According to the probe, bribes of Rs 3-5 lakh were allegedly paid for jobs as C-grade staff at NDA while Singh was the commandant there. Lt Gen Singh has since been removed from NDA.
CBI officials said Lt Gen Singh will soon be summoned for questioning.
The CBI has reportedly established that prime accused Col Kulbir Singh, who is among those arrested, handed over Rs 4 lakh to the brother of Lt Gen Singh during a meeting at Mumbai’s Oberoi Hotel on June 23.
NDA jobs scam: CBI gets nod for probe against Lt Gen

Massive power outage: Indians face reality- Powerless!

India Today Online New Delhi, July 31, 2012 | UPDATED 14:59 IST
Massive power outage in North, East India, passengers suffer as railway, Metro services halt
Lakhs of passengers were stuck as the Delhi Metro Rail and the railway services came to a sudden halt following power disruption in northern and eastern parts of the country on Tuesday afternoon.
Government sources said Delhi was one of the states that was worst affected by the second successive failure of the Northern Grid since Monday. Apart from Delhi, power supply was also disrupted in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand.
Sources said that power supply of around 2 lakh megawatt had collapsed in the northern states.
Metro Rail officials said that some trains were stuck in tunnels, forcing them close all entry points to Metro stations. The Metro Rail officials used emergency services to rescue the passengers stranded in trains that were stuck in tunnels and took them to the nearest stations. Power ministry sources said the Northern Grid failed again around 1 pm. Hundreds of trains were held up in different parts of north India. Several trains were stuck at Mughalsarai and Allahabad railway divisions.
The Indian Railway has issued an advisory asking the passengers to enquire about the status of their trains before leaving for the stations. At least 300 trains were stranded in eastern and northern parts of the country.
Power outage also affected road traffic, already affected due to water-logged roads, in Delhi as traffic signals stopped working in the city. Various other essential services were also hit by power failure. Meanwhile, sources said that the Eastern Grid was also affected. As a result, there was no power supply in Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha.
Train services were badly hit in these states, particularly the Howrah, Sealdah and Asansol divisions of Bengal following the Eastern Grid failure causing massive power cuts.
Union Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde told Headlines Today that he has ordered a probe into the grid failures.
Around 2 pm, a Power Grid Corporation spokesperson said that all essential services would be restored in two hours. Power supply was disrupted in northern states following the failure of Northern Grid around 2.30 am on Monday. The power supply was restored after nearly six hours.
Read more at:
Massive power cuts across north, east India; reasons unknown

Strike Corps Commander is new NDA Chief

Pranav Kulkarni : Thu Jul 26 2012, 00:44 hrs
In a significant development, Lt Gen A K Singh, currently the Corps Commander of Army’s prestigious Mathura-based 1 Corps, is likely to take over as the Commandant of the National Defence Academy (NDA) in the first week of August. Sources said he is likely to hold the office of the commandant till March 2013. Singh’s appointment is being considered one of the most high-profile Army appointments in the academy given that the office of the commandant is a staff appointment and it has not been headed by an officer who has commanded an operational formation of the level of a Corps. One of the principal offensive formations of the Indian Army, commanding 1 Corps is considered one of the most prestigious appointments of the Indian Army.
“Lt Gen A K Singh is likely to take over in the first week of August,” said an NDA official as another official confirmed the development. The appointment of the NDA commandant is currently being officiated by the deputy commandant Rear Admiral Anand Iyer after the former commandant Lt Gen Jatinder Singh was transferred post the CBI raids in connection with an alleged recruitment scam at the academy.
Lt Gen Jatinder Singh was supposed to retire in October-November. His early exit gave rise to speculation as to whether the new commandant would be an Army officer or an Air Force officer given that it is the IAF’s turn to send the commandant.
The logical promotion for a Corps commander is to be made an Army Commander. With the present Southern Army Commander likely to retire next year, in all likelihood, Lt Gen A K Singh after having held the office of the NDA commandant might become the GOC-in-C of the Southern Command.
“The Army sending a ‘high-profile’ officer as the commandant of the NDA is in itself a positive development. It will be good for the academy given that a general who has commanded an operational formation, that too 1 Corps, is bound to put things in the correct perspective at the academy,” said a retired officer.
NDA spokesperson refused to comment.
Strike corps commander is new NDA chief

OROP: Will Anomalies be Resolved or another Farce?

Result of Meeting held on 18th July for One Rank One Pension 20 July 2012
On 18th July 2012, the three service chiefs, led by Admiral Nirmal Verma, Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC) met with a high-powered Committee of Secretaries constituted by the Prime Minister to resolve anomalies in the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission award for the Armed Forces.
Although a total of 39 anomalies have been identified by the three services since 2008, they have decided to concentrate on some core issues that directly affect both serving and retired armed forces personnel.
The issues are:
Fixing common pay scales for all JCOs and ORs
Source: NDTV

Grant of NFU (non-functional upgradation) status to commissioned officers

Correcting difference in rank pay of commissioned officers

Extending the HAG+ (Higher administrative Grade Plus) scale to all three star officers

Granting One-Rank-One-Pension to retired personnel
There have been strong demands from ex-servicemen and from acting servicemen for One-Rank-One-Pay. And to push for their demands further, the three Service chiefs, led by Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, Naval chief Admiral Nirmal Verma, along with his colleagues, Chief of Air Staff ACM, NAK Browne and Army Chief General Bikram Singh gave a detailed presentation to the Committee of Secretaries on Wednesday.
The six-member committee, comprising the Cabinet Secretary with the Defence Secretary, Secretary Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Secretary DoPT, Expenditure Secretary and Principal Secretary to PM, as members was set up by the Prime Minister after a Rajya Sabha panel last year recommended granting One Rank One Pension to the retired defence personnel. The government has asked the committee to submit its report by August 8. There is a buzz in the corridors of power that the Prime Minister wants to make a grand announcement from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15 and therefore the deadline of August 8, 2012
For the uninitiated, the One-Rank-One-Pay scheme implies that uniform pension be paid to the armed forces personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service irrespective of their date of retirement, and any future enhancement in the rates of pension be automatically passed on to past pensioners.
But the issue that has upset and angered serving defence personnel is NFU.
For those not in uniform it needs a bit of an explanation. Buckling under pressure from Group A organised Services under the Central Government like Border Roads Organisation, Military Engineering Services, Postal Services, the Sixth Pay Commission gave them a special concession.
It allowed the officers in these services to be placed in a grade pay scale equivalent to an IAS officer two years behind that particular IAS batch. For example if the 1992 batch of the IAS officer got placed in the Joint Secretary grade in 2012, all Group A organised officers of the 1990 batch would automatically get the pay and allowance equivalent to the 1992 IAS batch, irrespective of the post and place they are serving in. That is the upgradation will be done on a ‘non-functional’ basis. This has brought in huge functional problems in day-to-day affairs when military officers have to work in close coordination with MES Civil Officers, BRO Civil Officers, IPS Officers in BSF, CRPF, ITBP, Defence Accts (IDAS), Test Audit (IA&AS), Ordnance Factory Board etc, with whom Defence forces officers interact regularly, will now get the salary and grade pay of Joint Secretary/Major General (Grade Pay Rs. 10000/-) after 22 years of service, and will draw the pay of Additional Secretary to Government of India which is equal to a Lieutenant General (Grade Pay Rs. 12000/-) in 32 years of service whereas military officers senior to them in rank and service will get less grade pay at the same level of service thereby creating a functional disparity giving rise to insubordination and subtle non-compliance.
Military officials have pointed out that this has adversely affected organisational command and control in multi-cadre environment. It also led to lowering the status of Armed Forces Officials vis-a-vis organized Group A officers and IPS Officers. Organized Group A and IPS Officers reach HAG (Higher Administrative Grade) Scale at 32 years while only 0.2 per cent of Armed Forces Officers can ever reach that level.
With over 97 per cent Armed Forces Officers retiring in the Grade Pay of 8700, their exclusion from the NFU is seen as grossly unfair. This differential not only disturbs financial parity, it pushes down the Defence services in status as even direct recruit officers of Group B services attain a better pay and promotional avenue and manage to reach the level of Joint Secretary/Major General before retiring. Both the OROP and granting the NFU status to Armed Forces officials is not going to be expensive either.
According to calculations done by the military, the annual outgo for granting One -Rank-One-Pension to the approximately 21 lakh ex-servicemen would not be more than Rs. 1300 crore. Similarly the NFU status, if granted, will cost the exchequer a mere Rs. 70 crore annually but will go a long way in restoring the pride and status of the armed forces’ officers.
The other core issues are minor in comparison but important nevertheless.
Source : http://www.gconnect.in/
OROP 20 July
Comment: This I believe is a political game plan to cheat the Military and downgrade the Armed Forces- the Sixth Pay Commission has achieved its goals and has been a heartburn for the Defences Services. The anomalies gets multiplied repeatedly by the number of resolving Committees. Bureaucrats will go down in history as cheaters! Will we ever get our rank pay which is still due from the Fourth Pay Commission- twenty years have elapsed.

Tatra Mantra: Commission Cheat and Confuse

Tatra asked BEML to do away with agents and offered discount
Press Trust of India | Updated: July 29, 2012 15:17 IST
New Delhi: In its probe in the Tatra truck scam, the CBI has found a 1994 offer letter from Czech manufacturer Tatra expressing willingness for direct collaboration with BEML for supplying completely built trucks at 40 per cent discount on their retail price, on condition to do away with intermediaries.
CBI sources said they have recovered the letter, a crucial evidence, from an official of Tatra offering the deal in 1994 and is now trying to find if there was any sabotage.
They said despite the offer of completely built trucks at nearly Rs. 23 lakh a piece in 1994 directly from the manufacturer, the BEML entered into a deal with Ravinder Rishi promoted Tatra Sipox UK in 1997, which was an intermediary, at much higher rates.
Tatra trucks for Army: CBI likely to question Ravi Rishi again today The agency feels that this act was allegedly at the behest of some interested parties and is investigating this further in its probe, they said.
The sources said India had entered into the truck supply deal with Czechoslovakia-based Tatra in 1986 through its authorised representative Omnipol.
After the division of the country in 1992, the company also got divided between Czech Republic-based Tatra, which manufactured 70 per cent of the truck and Slovakia-based Tatra Sipox which manufactured axles and chasis, they said.
They said close to the division of Czechoslovakia, there was chaos between 1991-94 when there was almost no supply and BEML, without any formal agreement, allegedly started procuring trucks from Venus, a representative of Tatra.
The sources said in the letter the Tatra official also mentions about the "comfort level" BEML enjoyed with Venus, which was an intermediary.
In the proposal, he had offered BEML to enter into a fresh agreement with the company on two conditions - terminate the 1986 agreement with Omnipol and remove any intermediary, they said.
Sources said the proposal was very much in line with the Defence Procurement Rules which said defence purchases should either be through the manufacturer or its authorised representatives and Tatra was insisting to do away with any intermediaries.
The agency, which found this document during one of its searches, is likely to carry out another inspection of BEML facilities in Bangalore, they said, adding that inspection of another BEML facility was carried out this week.
CBI will also be seeking the details of this proposal and other offers from Tatra to BEML through the judicial request it is planning to send to five countries, including Czech Republic and Slovakia, they said.
The sources alleged that despite Tatra not having any formal agreement with Tatra Sipox UK for marketing its product and the latter not being its authorised representative, BEML still chose to enter into an agreement with it in 1997, which was a violation of Defence Procurement Rules.
They said Tatra had entered into an agreement with Venus projects to market its products, while Tatra Sipox UK, claimed to be a representative of Slovak-based Tatra Sipox, they said.
CBI sources said Rishi allegedly gave 50 per cent stake to Venus projects in Tatra Sipox UK to ensure he is able to supply products of both the companies to BEML, which assembled them in India and supplied them to the Army at a premium.
In its judicial request, the agency will seek help from Hong Kong and the United Kingdom on the ownership structure and financial transaction of Venus and Tatra Sipox UK.
Rishi, who is named as an accused in the CBI FIR has denied any wrongdoing in the supply of trucks to BEML.
The agency is probing alleged irregularities in assigning supply from Tatra, with which the agreement was originally signed in 1986, to the Tatra-Sipox UK owned by Rishi in 1997 showing it as Original Equipment manufacturer and the fully-owned subsidiary of the Czech company which was against rules, they said.
Tatra asked BEML to do away with agents and offered discount
Comment: Ravi Rishi is a clued up conman and can beat the Indian Criminal Laws- he is likely to bribe his way out to freedom!

Adarsh Scam: Main Goal of Politicians and Military to Cheat and defraud the System

Secretary of Adarsh Society R C Thakur among other accused had allegedly misled the Maharashtra government in 2002 in allotting a plot for the construction of the highrise, claiming that the local defence authorities had given the go-ahead. This has been revealed by the CBI in its over 10,000-page chargesheet filed on July 4 against 13 accused in the case. The special CBI judge will start taking cognisance of the chargesheet on July 24.
As per the synopsis of the document, Thakur had requested the then Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on May 21, 2000, to allot land in South Mumbai claiming that the defence authorities had granted permission for the residential tower, provided the society constructs a girls hostel for the children of Army officers serving in far-flung areas.
“In the said letter, it was falsely represented that the accused, including Thakur, had negotiated with the local military officials and got a green signal, provided a girls hostel is constructed for children of Army officers serving in far-flung areas," the charge sheet said.
Thakur in a February 2000 letter to the government had mentioned about the girls hostel.
The CBI said that the Chief Minister then forwarded Thakur's letter to the revenue department, which, on the basis of the letter, initiated the process of conducting a survey of the plot which could be allotted to the society.
The chargesheet also says that chief promoter and former Congress MLC Kanhaiyalal Gidwani played an “important role” in expediting the process for getting the allotment done.
Gidwani had written several letters to the CMO and other departments claiming that the flats would be constructed for the welfare of Army personnel. Maha govt misled in allotting plot for Adarsh: CBI
Comment: Why are the former Military Chiefs not prosecuted for acquiring houses as members of Adarsh Society? The Military and MOD need to be ruthless in getting after the most corrupt in the system. If it is not done the morale of troops and veterans are likely to be adversely effected. Where is the Girls Hostel for the Children of Jawans serving in far flung areas.?

Fighting Corruption in India Gets Tougher

Updated Jul 28, 2012 at 04:10pm IST
I will neither contest elections nor form party: Anna Hazare
New Delhi: Putting rumours and speculation to rest, anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Saturday said that he would not contest elections or form a political party.
"I will neither contest elections, nor form a political party. In fact, if I survive this fast, I will roam the country and look for genuine people. If I find some, they will be trained and their names put on the Internet. After scrutiny, we will ask them to contest elections and I will campaign for them," said Anna who reached his venue of protest, the Jantar Mantar, early on Saturday morning.
"The government deceives us each time. Under the Congress or the BJP, this country has no future. Things will not change under them," he continued.
"I will fight for the Lokpal Bill till I am alive. I am not happy to fast all the time. But I am forced because of the betrayals by the government," he said. In an exclusive interview with IBN 18 Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai on Friday, the activist had said that he would consider joining politics if the people wanted him to. "If people say that Anna should enter politics, then I could think about it," he said. He, however, was quick to add that he would not fight elections but support a political party that would be launched by someone willing to fight against corruption.
"I will not go into politics but I will give a political alternative to the people. I will not fight in elections. But if anyone fighting against corruption launches a political party, I will support it. I think the people are ready for an honest candidate," he said.
In Delhi for his agitation for a Special Investigation Team to probe 15 ministers of the UPA government whom he alleges to be corrupt, Anna's recent protests have seen minimal crowd attendance.
The activist admitted in the interview that he too had begun to feel that the enthusiasm amongst the people for fight against corruption was beginning to wane. "People are coming to me and saying that only fasting or protest will not help and that I should give an alternative. But I do not think so right now," he said.
"The government too has been laggard in bringing in the Lokpal Bill. It has been two years since our protest for a strong Lokpal Bill began. May be the time has come to look at an alternative. But I still hope that the government will introduce it." He further said that the Lokpal Bill was, is and will always be the primary demand of India Against Corruption. "First Lokpal and then inquiry against the 15 corrupt ministers... The main issue is the Lokpal Bill."
He further accused "the 15 ministers" of stalling the progress on the Lokpal Bill. He said, however, that the mere removal of the 15 ministers would not put an end to corruption and that a concerted effort was needed to root it out. "For the benefit of the people and the country, everyone should come together and fight against corruption," he said. "I do not think that any political party, be it the Congress, the BJP or the Left, is serious about fighting against corruption. I feel it is now time to give them a political alternative," he added.
I will neither contest elections nor form party: Anna Hazare