Ex-servicemen status for retired paramilitary troops

Ex-servicemen status for retd paramilitary troops
Deeptiman Tiwary, TNN | Nov 2, 2012, 01.41AM IST
NEW DELHI: In the run up to Himachal Pradesh assembly and an eye on 2014 parliamentary polls, the government has decided to extend ex-servicemen benefits to retired central paramilitary personnel. The move will please 17 lakh serving and retired personnel from the forces, who were treated like any other government employee.
The Cabinet on Thursday passed a proposal moved by the home ministry to declare retired personnel from Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) as "ex-central police personnel" and extend them several benefits that ex-servicemen from the armed forces get.
Like former servicemen, now the retired paramilitary forces personnel will get quota in jobs, higher education for their wards and attendant medical benefits. However, they won't be eligible for certain Central government benefits such as preferential allotment of petrol pumps and gas agency as the Centre has put financial burden of the development entirely on states.
They will also not share the quota of ex-servicemen from defence forces, but have separate reservations as decided by different states.
The move has come at a time when Himachal Pradesh, which sends a large number of its men to various forces, is facing elections. And with general elections only a year and a half away, the policy decision will bring cheer to over seven lakh retired paramilitary personnel across the country apart from nine lakh serving in various forces such as CRPF, BSF, SSB, ITBP and CISF.
The government also hopes the move will help bring attrition in the forces down. Around 44,000 personnel have resigned from paramilitary forces since 2009 due to stressful conditions of work and lack of medical benefits.
Though the proposal for these benefits was made in 2010 itself, home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde announced its passing by the Cabinet in quite a dramatic fashion. While attending a CRPF function on Thursday morning, he said, "I am moving a proposal in the Cabinet to grant retired paramilitary personnel the status of ex-servicemen. Paramilitary personnel, like defence forces, put their life at stake in the line of duty and there is no problem in granting them this honour."
Four hours later, at function organized by CISF, the minister said, "I had announced at the CRPF function about granting ex-servicemen status to retired paramilitary men. After that I went to attend the Cabinet meeting and the Cabinet approved the proposal. These personnel will be called as 'ex-central police personnel' on the same footing as ex-servicemen in the defence forces."
The forces, in particular their retired personnel, have a mixed reaction. P S Nair, general secretary of All India Central Paramilitary Forces Ex-servicemen Welfare Association, said, "We have been struggling for this for the past several years. We are happy it has come now. It will make us eligible for 60-65 benefits given to ex-servicemen by states. However, this is not enough. We also want one-rank-one-pension like the Army. We are doing a gherao of the CGO Complex on November 21 to press for our demands."
Ex-servicemen status for retd paramilitary troops
Hindu: Ex-servicemen status for retired paramilitary personnel

Restructuring the Central Police Forces and the State Armed Police

USE OF INCORRECT TERMINOLOGY
Dear Chander,
I had written an article titled "Restructuring the Central Police Forces and the State Armed Police to Combat Internal Insurgencies". It was published in the South Asia Defence and Strategic Year Book 2011, which was published early this year. I am enclosing a copy as an attachment. As you will see, it is a long article of 4781 words, which all may not be interested to read. However, I would recommend that the portion highlighted in yellow be read by all. Following the publishing of the article, I was informed that the then Home Secretary (retired recently) issued immediate instructions to the police forces not to call themselves para military forces. As suggested by me, the Home Ministry issued a policy letter dated 18/22 March 2011 wherein all the armed police forces were instructed to adopt a uniform nomenclature as suggested by me. I am enclosing a scanned copy of the same as the second attachment. I do not know whether the police forces and others will follow the instructions but it is important that they do. The media continues to use the term para military forces incorrectly and so do even defence officers. Army Headquarters needs to contact all editors of newspapers and magazines, as well as others, including their subordinate formations and request them to instruct their scribes/ others to use the correct nomenclature. I thought the readers of your blog would be interested to know; they could then correct people who continue to use the wrong nomenclature.
Warm regards.
Vijay Oberoi
Former Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS)
Former Director Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS)
Click here to read the full article

NDTV OROP Debate: Readers Responses and feedback

Ref: NDTV Video on OROP Debate- click here

A SUGGESTION FOR AVOIDING A BUREAUCRAT TRAP
Dear Gen Kadyan and Gen Satbir,
First of all please accept my compliments for leading a great campaign unparalleled in the history of serving and veteran soldiers and building up the crescendo. You are doing a wonderful job. Objective is within sight. Please keep it up. Secondly I wish to caution you against a pitfall trap of the IAS lobby. They are too cunning and clever. Watch out your flanks and the hidden trap. Slowly and methodically they are trying to turn the civilian and by implication the general public against the veterans, by pitching the comparison of civilian professional with the Army like that of paramilitary forces, railways, firefighters, relief and rescue workers and so on. My suggestion is -- please do not get drawn to this argument as and when a civilian profession is compared with Army. Simply stick to our stand of equal pension for equal amount of service and the post held at the time of retirement. If government is convinced let them give OROP to all civilians. Why should we have objection? You may like to issue an advisory on these lines. In the NDTV programme one veteran was trying to justify the risk to life of a fire fighter vis a vis a soldier. This sort of discussion even if true does not go well with civilians. Regards,
Brig CL Lakhanpal (Retd)

VIDEO OF NDTV OROP PROGRAMME: 'PENSION FOR EX-ARMYMEN: A QUESTION OF EQUALITY'
I saw the NDTV program & was aghast at the hypocrisy and duplicity two female lawyers who were making out as if there was no legal basis for equal rank , equal pension. They did not seem to notice how come the MPS & most IAS retire with it . And what big fees they charge to open their mouths in court.
The treatment meted out to Army is no different than to others serving the nation, and is meted out by the selfish & corrupt IAS & MP combine.

They have the easiest of jobs, are arrogant to the core, zero accountability , have routinely filled their own pockets & consider themselves indispensable to the nation, while for the most part they are corrupt, inefficient & a burden to the nation.

Army needs to be treated as special service as we live in a hostile neighborhood & face threats from within too. The nation has to face ignominies & is unable to talk up to China & punish Pakistan for its open use of terrorism . Rather we offer Pak aid on their own terms.

In the face of reality around us we need to give the army the best of equipment & service & retirement terms to attract & retain the best . Those who suffer disabilities need our special care & consideration . Their families need our full support to lead a proud decent life. Their children should be eligible for 100% free education where ever they want to study.

The high morale of our Army is our best protection. In a country where corruption & inefficiency costs us lacs of crores per annum, where food grains rot, development money is routinely siphoned off, crores are siphoned off wasted on some stupid games, money is never a consideration & never will be.
Ajay S Hooda

Read more Comments and Suggestions
Readers Responses to NDTV Debate on OROP

BSF to induct 1,000 women in combat duties for the first time

Monday 13 July, 2009.
Setting a milestone, the Border Security Force will induct about 1,000 women personnel for combat duties for the first time by the end of this month. The women, who are currently undergoing training at the BSF establishment in Khatka, Punjab, will participate in the passing out parade on 29th July, which will be attended by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram.

"It would be a proud day for us when women will work shoulder-to-shoulder with men," BSF Director General M L Kumawat told a news agency. These personnel have been imparted training in weapon handling, intelligence, border management, sports, unarmed combat frisking and guard duties.

The women, along with their male counterparts, will carry out search and frisking at check posts, immigration points and trade routes along the borders with the force guards.

"The women component is essentially needed for the force as our duty of guarding borders involves frisking women travellers besides other relevant duties," Kumawat said. The first batch will be deployed in Punjab sector.

The newly trained personnel will be inducted for the posts of constables and the BSF also expects to get women officers in the post of assistant commandants and higher ranks. The women battalion will be part of the 29 battalions sanctioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the BSF as part of its expansion plan.

Women personnel in central forces like CRPF, CISF and SSB are already performing ground duties, this is for the first time that BSF will deploy women on ground.(AJ-12/07)
BSF to induct 1,000 women in combat duties for the first time: DD News

Satyam Collapse and Terror Strike Scare of IT Companies

By siliconindia news bureau
Monday,05 January 2009, 14:28 hrs IST
Bangalore: The corporates have become the next target of terrorism with six prominent IT companies in the city receiving mail threats, including Wipro and Infosys. The terror mail has threatened to blow up the premises of the companies.

The mail has induced a definite alarm among the firms who immediately informed the police about the e-mails. "The companies have informed the police two days ago about the e-mail and investigations are on," said Joint commissioner of Police B Gopal Hosur, without revealing any further details.

The terror threat may cause more alarm among the firms, as earlier the city's private security firms warned about the in adequate facilities available to deal with terror, at a time when the Karnataka government had suggested the firms to arrange for their own security.

Such threats on the companies have been witnessed earlier too. It was in January 2007 that security personnel had arrested a suspected Lashkar-e-Tayiba (LeT) terrorist in a village near the city of Bangalore and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition from their possession. More significantly, they had found a map of Bangalore and several other strategic locations including the airport, Wipro and an Infosys facility for likely target. Moreover, terror strike on the Indian multinationals or Indian companies will not only affect service operation in India but will also have impact on the business of other countries as well. It can affect business operations directly as well as indirectly, as cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and Mumbai are off late home to several foreign companies particularly in its IT zone.
Wipro, Infosys threatened to be blown up
Question: Can the companies have trained armed guards to combat terrorists? No private security guards at present are armed with weapons and especially trained for this purpose. Therefore the only option is to requisition Police Force or CISF who are already burdened with outstretched commitments. The Private Companies are faced with dual problem; apathy from the Government and Terror Scare. Surely now that Satyam has come as a Shocker, further scare of IT companies being struck by Terrorists will surely have a cascading effect of collapse of the harbingers of economic prosperity. Only solution that lays ahead is to have specially pooled Ex Servicemen who are already experts in the field to protect the Private Companies and Installations. Of course, this entails investment and expenditure (weapons, ammunition, protective gear, closed circuit TV monitoring) and wages commensurate with risk to life. Surely it is a costly business but certainly it is a measure to thwart the designs of the Terrorists.

Allow Tatas to take on terrorists

It defies imagination how four gun-toting terrorists could walk freely into one of Mumbai’s imposing landmarks, the Taj Hotel, and play with the lives of the inmates for full three days, before shooting them down en masse.

Were there no security guards, official or private, around to stop the foursome in their tracks? Why did Ratan Tata, one of India’s most resourceful businessmen who owns the hotel, not engage a well-trained private security force to provide fool-proof security to his hotel?

The sad reality is that the government would neither provide security personnel to guard private establishments, nor would allow the managements to deploy well-equipped private security forces to defend their establishments. The CISF’s brief is only to guard public sector establishments.

Soon after the hostage drama ended at Oberoi hotel in Mumbai, chairman of the Oberoi group, P R S Oberoi, told a TV channel that it took nearly a year for him to secure a gun license from the Mumbai police for his personal security guard. If this was the experience of one of the most influential hoteliers, what about lesser mortals? Laws stand in the way of private managements equipping their private security with the most sophisticated weapons like AK-47 freely accessible to the terrorists.

In the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, India Inc has approached the government for increased terror protection. Private security firms want the government to issue bulk license for firearms. Some private companies have decided to raise their own private security force to strengthen security in their various locations. Some have engaged international risk assessment firms to advise them on bolstering security.

Even as we think of setting up one more investigation agency to tackle terror, the Government has to address the question of easing the regulations on private security forces. Many business leaders and IT majors have volunteered to take charge of the security of their establishments, provided the government removes the legal hurdles. Ratan Tata said he was exploring the possibility of engaging an external agency to provide security to Taj hotel. Mukesh Ambani said he was willing to send his teenage son to the Army for compulsory arms training in defense of the country.

The government’s post-26/11 proposal to extend the services of CISF to private sector won’t go far, given the low motivation and inadequate training of government security personnel. The government should garner the resources and professionalism of the private sector to supplement its anti-terror operations.

While the Army is best left to defend our borders, the government should involve the private sector in a big way to strengthen internal security. More so, when our Tatas and Ambanis are all too willing to take up the challenge.
Allow Tatas to take on terrorists
Taj, Trident flooded with reservation requests

Comment: The private security is truly in a mess. ESM recruited for security services are poorly paid, ill equipped and clad comically. The image of our Jawans have been degraded further by DGR under the MoD.