OROP: Chiefs presentation not once but twice is double jeopardy

Dear Friends,
We have sent the following letter to all the Chiefs for doing the needful in getting our problems solved.
I do hope that they would take appropriate action to bring home the truth to the leadership which has never been found wanting.
The anxiety of the leadership to solve our problems was obvious from the MESSIANIC manner in which our Hon'ble RM took up the matter with the Hon'ble PM and the reaction of the Hon'ble PM in promptly appointing a Committee to solve our problems. All the papers that have been sent to you earlier and given below after the letter to the Chiefs were also sent to the Chiefs.
With best wishes
Lt Col Inderjit Singh

LETTER TO CHIEFS ABOUT OUR MEETING WITH THE HON'BLE RM
I wish to apprise you about our Meeting with the Hon'ble RM on 29 Sep 2012. I am therefore attaching all the papers about the Meeting for your kind information and necessary action.
2. The entire Veterans community is shattered by what has happened and expects you the Chiefs to get us our rightful dues by projecting the truth to the benign leadership as we have tried to do. My services are available if required by you.
3. The damage was done when all our respected Chiefs went and made presentation, not once but twice, to the Committee and demanded resolution of only few of our long list of anomalies pending with the Govt. It is sad that this happened when the entire Veterans community rejected it for our non representation on it. I am sure you will agree that it showed us all in a very poor light. Your request to the Leadership after first visit, for our representation, had no meaning as the Committee had already been legitimized by your presentations.
4. Whatever has happened cannot be undone. Now it is for you to figure out how you are going to repair the damage so that we can get our rightful dues.
5. We look forward to your positive response.
With best wishes,
Lt Col Inderjit Singh

Gen Bikram Singh, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM,VSM, SM, ADC**, Chief of The Army Staff

Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, PVSM, AVSM,VM, ADC, Chief of Air Staff

Admiral D K Joshi, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, NM, VSM, ADC Chief of Naval Staff

OROP: Connect with Congress

Date: Fri, Sep 28, 2012 at 11:20 AM
Subject: Feedback to Congress Party
This is what I sent to the Congress media, Ms Sonia Gandhi and Mr Rahul Gandhi.
Regards,
Brigadier V Mahalingam
The Government has played a cruel joke on the Veterans community by correcting a 6th Pay Commission anomaly and calling it a One Rank One Pension (OROP). Individuals and businessmen speak falsehood and mislead people but I have been brought up in a family where everyone believed that what the Government says and does will be nothing but the truth and correct. The present Government has betrayed this family belief and faith.
OROP is a method of compensating a solder for his early retirement due to which a Jawan losses over sixty lakhs and an officer over a crore of Rupees. If soldiers were not retired early at a time when their salary and their commitments were at its peak and allowed to serve as long as his civilian counterparts, this would have been unnecessary. Since the children of a soldier are very young at the time of his retirement he spends all is post retirement financial benefits on the education and marriage of his children with very little left for him and his wife for the later years. OROP only ensures that a soldier gets his pension revised after every pay commission to the level of his brethren serving officers and thus lives an honorable life at his old age and at a time when he has practically no means to earn a livelihood.
It is sad the Government running under your stewardship doesn’t think it necessary to provide an honorable living to a soldier after his retirement and consider him a spent force.
Veteran V Mahalingam
Connect With Congress: Tell them what you feel- click here

OROP Joke: Government attempts to Mollify the ESM

Taking steps for one-rank, one-pension demand: Govt
TNN | Sep 27, 2012, 02.02AM IST
NEW DELHI: Stung by trenchant criticism of ex-servicemen who have called the Rs 2,300 crore pension package announced for them "a joke and mere eyewash", the government on Wednesday said it was taking "steps in phases" towards meeting the eventual aim of one-rank, one-pension (OROP).
"The journey towards the OROP goal is a continuous process. Despite the country's critical financial position, the government came out on Monday with the Rs 2,300 crore package for ex-servicemen," a senior official said.
"This is the third time that the government has increased the pensions of ex-servicemen after the 6th Pay Commission. On implementation of the latest package, the pensions of officers will go up from 10% to 28% (Rs 565 to Rs 3,741 per month), while that of other ranks will increase by 9.7% to 13% (Rs 500 to Rs 800 per month). Dearness relief would be payable in addition," he added.
Ex-servicemen, however, are furious with the government for trying to project the Rs 2,300 crore pension package as the fulfillment of their long-pending OROP demand, which basically means payment of uniform pension to personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service irrespective of their date of retirement.
"The OROP story has turned out to be a government joke. The government has just rectified anomalies created by bureaucrats in earlier pay commissions. They in any case would have been enforced through court orders," said a retired major-general.
The government, on its part, said family pensioners have also been given the benefit of enhanced pensions, ranging from an increase of Rs 242 to Rs 2,500 depending upon their existing pensions.
"Moreover, defence and family pensioners will also benefit from dual family pension and family pension to mentally/physically challenged children even after marriage," the official said.
Taking steps for one-rank, one-pension demand: Govt
Related Reading
Ex-Armymen cry foul over ‘misleading’ pension plan

एक रैंक एक पेंशन

मयंक सिंह | नई दिल्ली, 26 सितंबर, 2012 09:44
पूर्व सैनिकों के पेंशन में वृद्धि करने के लिए 'एक रैंक - एक पेंशन' (OROP) की उनकी मांग की ओर खाई पाटने के लिए सरकार की ओर से एक प्रयास किया गया अनुमान है जिस तरह से नाखुश हैं.
"सरकार एक विसंगति है जो इसके द्वारा 6 केन्द्रीय वेतन आयोग के दौरान लिए OROP की मांग के प्रति खाई पाटने के लिए एक कदम के रूप में प्रतिबद्ध किया गया था की एक परिहार की घोषणा करके निर्दोष सैनिकों को गुमराह किया गया है" मेजर (सेवानिवृत्त) जनरल सतबीर सिंह ने कहा है, जबकि करने के लिए बोल TSI. वह भारतीय पूर्व सैनिक मूवमेंट के उपाध्यक्ष (IESM).
सोमवार को कैबिनेट की एक रुपये को मंजूरी दे दी है. 2300 करोड़ के पूर्व सैनिकों, उनकी पत्नियों और शारीरिक रूप से विकलांग बच्चों की पेंशन बढ़ाने का प्रस्ताव. के रूप में पूर्व सैनिकों से कहा, जबकि एक सैनिक की पेंशन के लिए अपने वेतन के आधार राशि रखते हुए वह सेवा में से गणना की जा रहा था, ", लेकिन गलती गणना के कारण राशि और सैनिक के वेतन बैंड के आधार पर किया गया था यह एक वित्तीय नुकसान में हुई थी, "सोमवार को उठाए गए कदम के रूप में 'नामक एक कदम OROP की दिशा में खाई पाटने के लिए कुछ भी नहीं है, लेकिन इस विसंगति को हटाने था.
लेफ्टिनेंट जनरल राज कादयान, IESM के अध्यक्ष ने कहा, "है के रूप में OROP दिया नहीं किया गया है कि हम अपनी मांग के लिए लड़ने के लिए जारी रहेगा."
"तीन समितियों और पेंशन समिति पहले ही मंजूरी दे दी है कि OROP सैनिकों को दिया जा" मेजर जनरल सतबीर सिंह ने कहा. मंगलवार को IESM से प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहन सिंह, रक्षा मंत्री एके एंटनी और तीन सेवा समझा कैसे सरकार के फैसले को काफी समय से लंबित मांग को पूरा नहीं न्यायसंगत पेंशन सुनिश्चित करता है प्रमुखों को पत्र गोली मार दी.
"उदाहरण देकर स्पष्ट करने के लिए, एक सिपाही, नायक और havlidar केवल 400 रुपये प्रति माह की वृद्धि हुई दिया गया है, जबकि एक सिपाही है जो जनवरी 2012 को सेवानिवृत्त लगभग 4000 रुपए है, जो 2006 से पहले सेवानिवृत्त उन से अधिक ड्रॉ" उन्होंने पत्र में बताया गया है, उनका कहना है कि इसी तरह असमानता अधिकारी में मौजूद भी शुमार है.
प्रधानमंत्री को लिखे पत्र में लिखा है, जनरल सतबीर, "एक ही रैंक और सेवा का एक ही लंबाई के साथ रक्षा कार्मिक ही पेंशन सेवानिवृत्ति की तारीख और भविष्य में किसी भी वृद्धि के बिना आकर्षित उन्हें स्वचालित रूप से करने के लिए प्रदान किया जाएगा."
सतबीर आगे कहा कि हमारे खिलाफ discrimnation मुख्य रूप से समिति की अध्यक्षता कैबिनेट सचिव, एक अनुरोध है जो तीन चीफ्स रक्षा मंत्री बनाया लेकिन उसे स्वीकार नहीं किया गया था में रक्षा कार्मिक से सदस्यों के शामिल किए जाने के कारण है.
कई सालों के लिए पूर्व सैनिकों को 'एक क्रम से एक वेतन' के कार्यान्वयन की मांग की है जिसके तहत रक्षा कर्मियों को एक ही पद पर सेवानिवृत्त हो रहे हैं और सेवा की इसी अवधि में देने के लिए एक ही पेंशन दी जानी चाहिए सेवानिवृत्ति के वर्ष के बावजूद.
वर्तमान प्रणाली के अनुसार, 6 वेतन आयोग के तहत पूर्व सैनिकों अपने समकक्षों के जो पिछले वेतन आयोगों के तहत सेवानिवृत्त से अधिक पेंशन मिलता है.
Click here for the English Version

Ex-servicemen reject hike in pension, say it is ‘misleading’

Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, September 25, 2012
As the fine print of the Cabinet’s decision on additional pension for ex-servicemen emerges, it is clear that the government stopped short of accepting the ‘one rank, one pension’ (OROP) formula but there will be an across the board increase in pension for all those who retired before January 1 2006.
Depending on which side you stand, opinions are sharply divided on the hike and the last word on the matter is yet to be spoken with ex-servicemen groups rejecting the additional pension benefits.
The basic pension of all officers who retired before January 1, 2006 will increase between Rs 1,800 and Rs 3,600. The existing 65 per cent of dearness allowance will also be admissible over the increased amount. However, this is not as per the OROP formula.
Despite the increase, officers who retired after January 1, 2006 will get pensions that are way ahead of those who retired before January 1, 2006. The other measures on dual family pension and family pension for physically and mentally handicapped children after marriage have been welcomed.

Sources said as per calculations made so far, the following will be the tentative hike in basic pension for officers who retired before January 1, 2006: Captain Rs 13,850 (existing) to Rs 15,350 (after hike); Major Rs 14,100 to Rs 18,205; Lt Col Rs 25,700 to Rs 26,262; Colonel Rs 26,050 to Rs 27,795; Brigadier Rs 26,150 to Rs 29,145 and Major General Rs 26,700 to 30,350. These figures could be more, depending upon several other factors. This DA would be paid as per prevailing rates. Other payments of military service pay and grade pay factored into the pension calculation formula remain unchanged.
Maj General Satbir Singh (retd), vice-chairman of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement, rejected the announcement terming it as “misleading”. “What has been given, albeit grudgingly, does not even meet provisions of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) judgments on the matter,” he said in letters shot-off to the Prime Minister with copies to Defence Minister AK Antony and the three Service Chiefs. Two summers ago, the General had led a march to Rashtrapati Bhawan where hundreds of retired personnel returned their medals.
Gurdaspur MP Partap Singh Bajwa and Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda have welcomed the decision. Bajwa said the remaining demands of serving officers should be met immediately, while Hooda praised Sonia Gandhi for the move.
Explaining the intricacies of OROP, Maj General Singh said, “OROP means that defence personnel with the same rank and same length of service must draw the same pension irrespective of the date of retirement and any future enhancement would be automatically granted to them. What has been announced is not OROP.” The hike has come about after a change in calculations. Till now, the pension for ex-servicemen retiring before January 1, 2006 was calculated as per the lowest pay in the existing pay band.
Ex-servicemen reject hike in pension, say it is ‘misleading’

रिटायर्ड सैन्यकर्मियों के लिए 'समान रैंक, समान पेंशन' को मंजूरी

रिटायर्ड सैन्यकर्मियों के लिए 'समान रैंक, समान पेंशन' को मंजूरी
समान रैंक, समान पेंशन योजना
एजेंसियां | Sep 25, 2012, 09.52AM IST
नई दिल्ली।। सख्त आर्थिक सुधारों के चलते बने कसैले माहौल को कम करने के लिए केन्द्र सरकार सक्रिय हो गई है। मंत्रिमंडल ने रिटायर्ड सैन्यकर्मियों के लिए समान रैंक, समान पेंशन (OROP) लागू करने को मंजूरी देते हुए 2300 करोड़ रुपए के अतिरिक्त पेंशन पैकेज की घोषणा कर दी है। करीब 21 लाख सैन्यकर्मियों को कैबिनेट के इस फैसले से फायदा होगा।
लंबे समय से मिलिट्री कर्मियों में इस बाबत कोई कदम न उठाने के चलते रोष था। इस कदम से पहले तक इस मांग को पूरा करवाने के दबाव के लिए अब तक कई रिटायर्ड सैन्यकर्मी अपने मेडल लौटा चुके थे और रैलियां कर रहे थे। सरकार के इस फैसले के मुताबिक, रिटायर्ड सैन्यकर्मियों के बीच पेंशन में असमानता को खत्म कर दिया जाएगा। इसके तहत जनवरी 2006 के पहले और उसके बाद तीनों सेनाओं से रिटायर हुए जूनियर कमीशन अधिकारियों की पेंशन में अंतर की खानापूर्ति के मद्देनजर यह कदम उठाया गया है। पेंशन के लिए सिपाही स्तर, नायक स्तर और हवलदार रैंक पर जनवरी, 2006 से दो साल पहले या फिर दो साल बाद रिटायर हुए लोगों को इसका पात्र माना जाएगा।
और, 2006 से पहले या बाद में रिटायर हुए कमिशन ऑफिसर्स को न्यूनतम पे-बैंड की जगह न्यूनतम पेंशन टेबल में डालकर यह गैप खत्म कर दिया गया है। इसी तरह कमिशन, जूनियर कमिशन या अन्य अधिकारियों-फौजियों को न्यूनतम पे-बैंड के बजाय इन्हें न्यूनतम फिटमेंट टेबल के हिसाब से अब ज्यादा पेंशन मिलेगी। रिटायरमेंट के बाद जिन जूनियर कमीशन अधिकारियों या अन्य की मृत्यु हो गई है, उनके परिजनों को अब 30 प्रतिशत के बजाय अधिकतम 60 प्रतिशत तक के स्केल पर पेंशन मिलेगी। फैसले का एक और 'अच्छा' पहलू यह है कि जो लोग फौज के अलावा सिविल सेवा में भी रहे हैं, उन्हें दोनों ही ओर से रिटायरमेंट के बाद पेंशन मिल सकेगी।
रिटायर्ड सैन्यकर्मियों के लिए 'समान रैंक, समान पेंशन' को मंजूरी

OROP: Jubilation gives way to sceptism

Updated Sep 25, 2012 at 02:49pm IST
One rank one pension scheme: Jubilation gives way to scepticism
Surya Gangadharan, CNN-IBN
New Delhi: India's nearly 23 lakh ex-military personnel have a reason to celebrate. The government has finally conceded their demand for One Rank One Pension. It means that the military personnel will draw the pensions depending on the rank at which they retired, and not the date of their retirement.
The government's decision on Monday evening is set to bring on par those who retired before 2006 with those who retired afterwards.
The One Rank One Pension scheme will also grant dual family pensions and ensure pensions to the differently-abled wards of the defence personnel.
According to reports, the scheme will cost the government around Rs 2,300 crore per year.
While the ex-servicemen are jubilant, many of them remain sceptical.
General (retd) VK Singh said that while he was unaware of "what they have passed", the move was welcome and that it should have happened long time back.
Another Brigadier says that one must be willing to read the fine print. "The government says one thing and does another. It could be a welcome step if the government implements it," he says.
The scepticism of the Army officers is well-founded. The government has turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to what the ex-servicemen consider their legitimate right. And while there has been some relief for retired personnel, there's been no effort to address the concerns of the serving military personnel who feel shortchanged by the Sixth Pay Commission.
One rank one pension scheme: Jubilation gives way to scepticism
One rank, almost one pension!

Pension enhancement to beat inflation: OROP made POOR

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2012
Cabinet approval granted to pensionary part of the report of the Committee of Secretaries
The cabinet has today approved the pensionary part of the PM appointed Committee of Secretaries.
What has been accepted and promulgated is the same as was placed on this blog on 09 August 2012. Click here.
An official press release can also be accessed by clicking here.

Service pension for various ranks shall now be the following:
For Junior Commissioned Officers and Other Ranks (JCOs/OR). Add two years in the existing tables which can be accessed by clicking here. For example, to get to know the basic pension now admissible at 15 years, the amount reflected at 17 years will be reckoned now.

For Officers: The admissible basic pension for pre-2006 retirees shall be as below:
Lieut: Rs 13,500
Capt: Rs 15,350
Maj : Rs 18,205
Lt Col: Rs 26,265
Col: Rs 27,795
Brig: Rs 29,145
Maj Gen: Rs 30,350
Posted by Navdeep / Maj Navdeep Singh at 9:50 PM
Click here for Maj Navdeep's Original Post
Related Tribune News
Govt moves closer to one rank, one pension; clears Rs 2,300-cr package

Government Twists OROP: Pension enhancement for sure

Announcement over media is NOT real OROP- The struggle for OROP is far from over- Read on...
For those who sent congratulatory message by phone and email on grant of OROP by the Government: Thanks But NO Thanks!!!
THE REALITY IS DIFFERENT. THE GOVERNMENT HAS JUST ANNOUNCED WHAT WAS THE 6TH PAY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION AND WAS TO HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN 2008 AND NOT "OROP". THERE WAS MISCHIEF SOME WHERE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF 6TH PAY COMMISSION AND IT IS BEING NOW RECTIFIED WITHOUT RETROSPECTIVE EFFECT AND IS BEING TOUTED AS "orop" BY THIS SHAMELESS GOVERNMENT.
PLEASE READ THE the Press release by PIB of Government of India Click here
The same is extracted for comments and pasted below:
As they say the devil is in the details. Read carefully...
We are asking for "Same pension for the same rank with same length of service" calling it as OROP.
Now read what has been approved:
"The pension of pre 1.1.06 Commissioned Officer pensioners would be stepped up with reference to the minimum of fitment table for the ranks instead of theminimum of pay band."

What is this fitment table? Where is this terminology coming from? Who has suggested this? What is the minimum of the "fitment table"?

Does this translate to the definition of "Same Pension for the same rank with same length of service"?
The answer is NO, NO, NO...
From what is there in the (Click Here) blog it appears that they have only approved "minimum of pay for the rank in the pay band" as was recommended by the 6th CPC and was messed up by th "Babus" while implementation of these recommendations by saying "minimum of the pay band".
This is nothing Great. The Government had to implement this anyway since there are judgement s to the effect by AFT. The same verdict has also been given to Civilian Pensioners by Civilian Administrative Tribunals (CAT) on a case filed by a group of Pensioners from Chennai. The Govt has now perhaps decided not to go on an appeal.
But the news channels have been misinformed to report that OROP (same rank-same length of service- same pension) has been approved. Who is doing this mischief?
Sounds like the repeat of the 2009 Committee of Secretaries report!
Veteran Baba Tiruvalam

One rank One Pension: Cabinet clears Rs. 2300 crore package

One rank One Pension: Cabinet clears Rs. 2300 crore package
Edited by Shamik Ghosh | Updated: September 24, 2012 20:14 IST
New Delhi: In a major victory for ex-servicemen, the government has set aside Rs. 2,300 crore to implement the one-rank-one-pension (OROP) demand that has been pending for years. This has been a major irritant between the armed forces and the bureaucracy.
In recognition of this demand, the Prime Minister in his Independence Day address this year, had announced OROP, apart from several other measures.
The Union Cabinet secretary Ajit K Seth was put in charge of a committee that has submitted its report, though after more than a month's delay.
OROP implies that servicemen of the same rank and same period of service should get the same pension, irrespective of when they retired. It also means that as and when pension is enhanced, the benefit will also be passed on to those who have retired earlier.
One rank One Pension: Cabinet clears Rs. 2300 crore package Comment: Happy news for the lakhs of retired Jawans struggling to keep pace with inflation. This small measure is sure to light up many Veteran Homes.

Pay and Pension issues of the Armed Forces

Ref: Cabinet Committee Recommendations
Warrant Officer P.R. Balathilakan, MSM September 18, 2012 at 5:15 pm
We the Ex-Servicemen are eagerly waiting to know the outcome of the report which has been submitted by the Cabinet Secretary’s Committee to the Hon’ble Prime Minister relating to Pay and Pension issues of the Armed Forces personnel. The report is stated to have been submitted during the last quarter of previous month. Since the Committee has stated that the points are to be met immediately, then why there is delay in announcing the recommendations. Hope, the authorities will take a note to make the report public soon.
Warrant Officer P.R. Balathilakan (Retd.) MSM

OROP: UPA under siege will it collapse the issue?

Foreign media on UPA's new vulnerability
Jim Yardley, Gardiner Harris, The New York Times | Updated: September 19, 2012 15:58 IST
New Delhi: The turmoil surrounding India's national government intensified on Wednesday, with a growing number of regional partners threatening to withdraw their support from the government and a former ally calling for the prime minister to seek a fresh electoral mandate.
Following the announcement by Mamata Banerjee, the populist chief minister of the state of West Bengal, that her party would formally leave the government on Friday, another member of the government, Muthuvel Karunanidhi, said his party would support a nationwide strike on Thursday called by opposition parties to protest policy changes announced last week by the governing coalition, the United Progressive Alliance. Mr. Karunanidhi controls 18 votes in Parliament, just one fewer than the total controlled by Ms. Banerjee.
Meanwhile, Ram Gopal Yadav, a major leader of the Samajwadi Party, which controls 22 votes in Parliament, said that his continued support of the governing coalition was no longer assured. "This government has lost credibility and can't take our support for granted," he said, according to media reports.
Ms. Banerjee has given the government until Friday to reverse new economic measures, including ones that would allow multinational giants like Walmart and Ikea to build major retail outlets in India, or face the withdrawal of her 19 lawmakers from the coalition. Since Parliament is not in session, there is little risk of the government collapsing immediately. But if Ms. Banerjee follows through on her threat, the governing coalition must rely on Mr. Karunanidhi, Mr. Yadav and others to avoid early elections.
Read More: Foreign media on UPA's new vulnerability- click here

Armed forces’ pay fixation: Govt may accept 4 demands

Armed forces’ pay fixation: Govt may accept 4 demands
Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 16
The government is keen to accept at least four of the armed forces’ demands on fixation of their pay and pension. The high-powered committee set up by PM Manmohan Singh has given its ideas wherein it has accepted that some of the demands of the forces need to be met immediately as there are glaring anomalies, sources said.
Sources said the committee has recommended that the armed forces be given non-functional upgradation (NFU) to match their counterparts in the IPS, IAS and paramilitary forces.
The grade pay is another issue, the committee has suggested, can be looked into. Thirdly, it has agreed that a common payscale be evolved for in-service jawans. Lastly, it has agreed on removal of all anomalies towards one rank one pension (OROP).
Meanwhile, a fresh calculation has been ordered following a Supreme Court judgment relating to a 25-year-old pay-related case filed by Major Dhanapalan. The court ruled in his favour to correct the anomaly and will impact all officers who were serving then and now.
This had to be factored in before a final announcement. The PM can still make changes as Defence Minister AK Antony was very keen on resolving matters at the earliest and in favour of the forces.
The committee headed by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth was formed following an intervention from PM Manmohan Singh on July 8 this year.
The forces protested that they had no representative; the committee specially met the three service chiefs. Its mandate was to deal with six issues of serving officers and jawans and another four issues relating to those who retired.
Sources said the committee was unanimous on payscale for jawans, OROP, grade pay and NFU. The most serious was the NFU issue. The Sixth Central Pay Commission (CPC) recommendations were out in October 2008. The IAS in the post of Joint Secretary (JS) to the Government of India was made eligible for a grade pay of Rs 10,000 a month on completing 22 years of service.
WHAT THE HIGH-POWERED PANEL SAYS

Armed forces be given non-functional upgrade to match their counterparts in the IPS, IAS and paramilitary forces

Grade pay can be looked into

A Common payscale be evolved for in-service jawans

Anomalies be removed towards one rank-one pension
Armed forces’ pay fixation: Govt may accept 4 demands
Comment: One hopes and prays that the Government does not collapse before implementing these recommendations. The FM is very shrewd! We need to wait and watch.

Growing discontent among armed forces on pay parity

Antony to PM: Growing discontent among armed forces on pay parity
New Delhi: Observing there was “growing discontent” among armed forces personnel over anomalies in pay-related matters, Defence Minister A K Antony has written a letter to the Prime Minister saying if “corrective action” is not taken, the issue might take a “bad turn”.
After the letter was sent, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh constituted a high level-committee under the Cabinet Secretary to address issues such as One Rank One Pension (OROP) and elevation of all Lt Gen-rank officers into a higher pay scale.
Defence Minister A K Antony has written a letter to the Prime Minister saying if “corrective action” is not taken, the issue might take a “bad turn”. Reuters In the letter written on 25 June, sources said the Defence Minister has written that “there is growing discontentment among the services personnel due to the anomalies in fixation of payment and salaries.”
Pushing the case for accepting the demands of serving and retired soldiers, Antony pointed out that the service personnel, ex servicemen and family pensioners are “equally agitated” over the anomalies in their salaries.
He told the Prime Minister that “unless we take corrective action, things may take a bad turn.”
On 13 July, the Prime Minister formed a six-member committee under Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, which has been asked by the government to finalise its recommendations and submit its report to Manmohan Singh by 8 August.
(Incidently this Committee has disobeyed the PM's directive- the report has not been submitted till today- 11 Sep 2012- even after a month. It is likely to be buried or outcome filled with follies and more anomalies)
For serving defence personnel, the committee will look into the issues of having a common pay scale for serving Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs), placing all Lt Gen-rank officers under the higher pay scale grade of Higher Administrative Group Plus (HAG+).
For the large community of ex servicemen, the government has tasked the committee to consider the issue of One-Rank-One-Pension which has been the main demand of the services personnel and has seen a lot of them returning their service and gallantry medals to the President in the last few years as a mark of protest.
Antony to PM: Growing discontent among armed forces on pay parity
Related Reading
Three services chiefs discuss pay, pension issues with panel
What is Mr Antony doing to reign in the MOD Bureaucrats who call the shots? THE VISION/ MISSION National Litigation Policy- MOD spurns its own Government Policy:
The National Litigation Policy is based on the recognition that Government and its various agencies are the pre-dominant litigants in courts and Tribunals in the country. Its aim is to transform Government into an Efficient and Responsible litigant. This policy is also based on the recognition that it is the responsibility of the Government to protect the rights of citizens, to respect fundamental rights and those in charge of the conduct of Government litigation should never forget this basic principle.
click here for the complete double speak
Comment: The mindless MOD and spineless AHQ together are working in tandem against the welfare of serving and retired troops. Farewell to Welfare is the motto. This refrain says it all:
"Cheating" has grown to be so much the fashion
I believe cheating runs the whole nation
The cabinet committees reinforce this caption

OROP: Will it be another game?

Cabinet Secretariat 13 July 2012
Govt constitutes Committee to look into pay and pension related issues of defence services personnel and ex-servicemen
The Government has decided to constitute a Committee, under the chairpersonship of Cabinet Secretary, to look into pay and pension related issues of relevance to defence services personnel and ex-servicemen. The other members of the Committee will be:
(i) Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister
(ii) Defence Secretary
(iii) Secretary, D/o Expenditure
(iv) Secretary, D/o Ex-Servicemen’s Welfare
(v) Secretary, D/o Personnel and Training
The Committee’s ‘terms of reference’ will be to look into the following issues relating to:
(i) Defence services personnel:
• Common pay-scale for in-service JCOs/ORs
• Initial pay-fixation of Lt. Col/Colonel and Brigadier/equivalent
• Review and enhancement of grade pay
• Placing of all Lts General in HAG+ scale
• Grant of non-functional upgradation (NFU) to armed forces personnel
(ii) Ex-servicemen:
• One-rank one-pension
• Enhancement of family pension
• Dual family pension
• Family pension to mentally/physically challenged children of armed forces personnel on marriage
The Department of Expenditure will service the Committee. The Committee may co-opt any other member. The Committee will finalize its recommendations and submit its report to the Prime Minister by 8th August, 2012.
***SC/LM (Release ID :85337)
Cabinet Committee for pay and pension of defence personnel

MPs panel slams army practice of soldiers as assistants

The Indian Army is facing the ire of a parliamentary panel over its continuing practice of employing trained soldiers as sahayaks (personal assistants) of officers.
New Delhi |Wednesday, 2011 6:35:06 PM IST
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on defence strongly condemned the system of employing sahayaks to carry out menial domestic chores of officers in one of its reports about three years ago. It has for the third time now slammed the defence ministry for defending the practice and for not heeding its recommendation of abolishing it.

The report on 'stress management in the armed forces', 31st by the committee during the 14th Lok Sabha, has said the sahayak system was "inhuman". It has also stated that the trained soldiers were for fighting wars for the country and they should be used only for such purposes and not stationed at the residences of officers.

But the committee's current report on the budgetary demands for grants, presented to the Lok Sabha Wednesday, said it "places on record the anguish over the disrespect of one of their important recommendation" to abolish the system.

The committee, headed by Congress MP Satpal Maharaj, has also declared that the defence ministry owed it an explanation for not implementing the recommendation.

Dismissing the repeated justification of the defence ministry that the sahayak system was a necessity, the committee said it was "not convinced" with the reasoning given by the defence ministry that the army personnel functioned in pairs and the soldier was the buddy of the officer.
--Indo-Asian News Service ncb/rn/vt
MPs panel slams army practice of soldiers as assistants
Comment: The Buddy system draws a flak. There is no justification for having Sahayaks in Peace Stations and Training Institutions. Senior Officers (Red Tabs) should set the trend and shed this Buddy system in Peace Stations and Cantonments.

Gandhi used Army to crush Maoists

Indira Gandhi used Army to crush Maoists: Former General to NDTV
At a time when there are divisions within the government on whether or not to use the Army against the Maoists, a key former General in the Eastern Command told NDTV that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had indeed sent in the Army to crush the original Naxal uprising in West Bengal in the late 60s.

Lt General (Retd) J F R Jacob also added that para-commodes were also used against the Naxals in the 60s and 70s.

"In 1969 in the month of October, General Manekshaw and secretary Govind Narain came to Calcutta to see me. We had a meeting and Manekshaw told me that the government had decided that the Army would be used to break the Naxals and it is the order of Mrs Gandhi. She had directed that the Army be used to break the Naxals." he said.

"I told Manekshaw that I need more troops. We had 20 divisions in the Naxal areas but nothing south of the Ganga. He said, 'How much troops do you need?' I said I at least need two divisions. So he said Jake I will be good to you. I will not only give you two more divisions but I will give you 40 para-brigade as well. I said give me something in writing. He said nothing in writing. Then Govind Narain turned up and said no publicity and no records. There was no disturbed area act enforced, no AFSPA enforced. We just operated within the law. I would presume you would call it aid of civil power and we had no protection," he added.

The Cabinet Committee on Security will today on the Home Ministry's proposal for greater assistance from the Army in tackling the Naxals. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will chair this key meeting.

The Army leadership, however, continues to remain wary of getting embroiled in the Naxal areas, one reason why the Ministry of Home Affairs has reportedly refrained from seeking Army's direct deployment in the counter-Naxalite strategy.

Instead, the Army has offered post brigadier-level officers in Naxal-affected states as advisers and part of the Unified Command.
Indira Gandhi used Army to crush Maoists: Former General to NDTV

SCPC: Anomaly Committee laid to rest

Dear Chander,
With quite a few strictures recently passed against G of I by the Supreme Court, High Courts and Armed Forces Tribunals, time has come to press hard for a permanent solution. We all should unite and ask for the Military Pay Commission to be convened NOW. Let it look into and sort out all the anomalies created deliberately and intentionally by the Indian Anomalies Service people manning the Ministry of Delays. Needless to say, the IAS people should be kept far away from the commission as also from any consideration of its recommendations. Let there be a direct interaction between the military and the politicians, let the sun set on the civil servant supremacy.
Regards,
Cdr KK Punchhi, (Retd)

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PM remark irks ex-servicemen

Rajay Deep, Tribune News Service Bathinda, March 7, 2010

The recent statement of the Prime Minister in Parliament that the recommendation regarding enhancement in the pensions of jawans and JCOs has been implemented, has created a flutter among members of the Indian Ex-servicemen (ESM) Movement.

Taking strong exception to the recent statement of the Prime Minister, Major General (retd) Satbir Singh, vice-chairman, the Indian Ex-servicemen Movement, said the reason as to why the PM made this “wrong” statement was beyond comprehension.

In an exclusive interaction with The Tribune, here today, Satbir Singh said the way the PM brushed aside the issue of pensions of defence personnel by stating that the enhancement recommended by the committee had been implemented, revealed that either the staff at his office had not correctly briefed him or the government itself was indifferent to their genuine entitlements.

“It is emphatically reiterated that the enhancement of pensions of jawans and JCOs as announced by the government in Parliament on July 6, 2009 and again announced by the Prime Minister on August 15, 2009 from the ramparts of the Red Fort for which Rs 2,140 had been earmarked to benefit 12 lakh ex-servicemen jawans and JCOs has not at all been implemented,” claimed Satbir Singh.

Accusing the system of damaging the morale of the ex-servicemen, the vice-chairman of the Indian Ex-servicemen Movement said, “It is a sad reflection of the government's attitude that 22000 prestigious medals have been returned to the President of India by ex-servicemen on six different occasions to express their anguish and hurt feeling. Still, the government continues to ignore their main demand of one rank, one pension (OROP).”

“Witnessing the callous attitude of the government towards our problem, we are going to intensify the protest. Ex-servicemen from all states will deposit their medals with the President of India for the seventh time on March 14 along with a memorandum signed in blood to express deep anguish over the apathy of the government,” said Satbir Singh.

“This is not the only pain. The President of India is not even granting audience to the delegation of the movement, who have been leading the protest to secure justice for the Defence personnel,” alleged the vice-chairman.

Terming it as the job of the forces to uphold the democratic values of the country and safeguard the sovereignty and integrity of the country, the Major General (retd) warned, “Any tinkering with the ethos and morale of the armed forces would be to the country's peril.”

Targeting the government for depending upon imports from other countries, Satbir Singh said, “The Arjun Tank, which is supposed to be an indigenous production, has now a major import dependency. The government is somewhere ignoring that one of our neighbouring country is increasing its all-round capacity, and is waiting for a chance to pounce upon us.”
PM remark irks ex-servicemen

IESM: Letter to Supreme Commander of Armed Forces

IESM: 11 January 2010
To,
Smt Pratibha Devi Singh Patil
President and Supreme Commander of Armed Forces
Rashtrapati Bhawan
New Delhi

Dear Hon’ble Supreme Commander,
I write this to convey the dismay and disappointment of the Ex Servicemen on the subject of ‘one rank one pension’ (OROP). Sadly, the government, in their reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on 09 December 2009 have again rejected OROP. The government rejection is stated to be based on the Cabinet Secretary Committee report that has not found OROP feasible on ‘administrative’ grounds. The Committee have of course made some other ameliorative recommendations with respect to pensions, which have yet to be notified by the government. However, though welcome, these address a very small section of the veterans’ population. An average pre-2006 pensioner, who is part of the vast majority, is again left to live with injustice.

The ‘administrative’ grounds preventing acceptance of the old pending demand of OROP have not been spelt out. If the government could remove the dividing line between the pre and post 10.10 1997 pensions, why the same formula cannot apply to the 1.1.2006 dividing line, defies comprehension. This has only added to the consternation of the veterans and has given rise to apprehension that the constitution of the Committee was only an electoral exercise on the eve of the last Parliamentary polls. The quality of the Committee report – which was a mere summary of a few selectively picked up earlier reports rather than breaking any new ground - further leads to the inference that it was merely to support a pre-determined outcome.

We have been repeatedly requesting the Supreme Commander since July 2009 for an audience. This has not materialized. Similar request has been pending for a meeting with the Hon’ble Defence Minister since October 2009. We are thus unaware of government’s ‘administrative’ compulsions that have come in the way of OROP. Noticeably, ‘financial’ grounds that were cited in December 2008 have not been given this time. We are happy to conclude that the country is no longer economically constrained in this regard. It must, therefore, be only a question of priorities where the veterans apparently do not figure. A veteran having been sent home in the prime of his life with inadequate means of sustenance, can only feel exploited and ‘used’.

India must be unique in the world where the veterans have been forced to take to the streets to seek justice. That too, regrettably in a country where the defence forces have played a unique and stellar role in retaining freedom and in maintaining integrity. The demand for OROP is neither bizarre nor huge. It is more psychological in nature to make old pensioners feel that their contribution and services to the country were not inferior to their younger colleagues. In a country that has been involved in five wars and a counter insurgency campaign almost continuously since Independence, such feeling of discrimination cannot be termed out of place.

Under the circumstances the veterans have no choice but to continue with their struggle. They will again be depositing medals – for the sixth time – on Sunday, 31 January 2010 at 2: pm at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. It is requested that instructions be issued for the reception of the medals.

We assure you of our unflinching loyalty to India and of our endeavour to keep the struggle disciplined and dignified.
With best regards,
Yours sincerely,
Lt Gen Raj Kadyan

Copy to:
Dr Manmohan Singh
Hon’ble Prime Minister
South Block
New Delhi – 110 011

Shri AK Antony
Hon’ble Defence Minister
Ministry of Defence
South Block
New Delhi – 110 011