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

CWG: High-tech security

From plainclothes detectives mingling with the crowds to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Delhi is under an unmatched security cover to ensure a trouble-free Commonwealth Games starting in the national capital from Sunday.

Besides some 100,000 police and paramilitary personnel on Delhi's roads, the UAVs will be looking for possible air intrusions. Ground personnel are equipped to battle chemical, biological or radiological attacks.

According to officials, the most high-tech security systems are in place for the Games that has drawn 7,000 athletes and officials from 71 nations and territories.

Army helicopters have begun hovering over the sprawling Games Village housing the visitors. Armed personnel have taken positions at city centres and vital installations.

Hundreds of plainclothesmen are mingling with the city populace in markets and Metro trains, residential colonies and bus stations.

"Home Minister (P.) Chidambaram has been personally supervising the arrangements," Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran said.

"There may be extra checking and traffic restrictions during the Games but these are natural in a big event," said an official from the ministry.

The home ministry, which controls Delhi Police, is in overall charge of the Games security.
High-tech security for CWG

Government sets up GoM on energy

References
Energy Security = Energy + Security: Pragmatic Euphony
Govt sets up GoM on energy: Indian Express

It seems that those who call such meetings ie PMO do not understand the role of various actors in different facets of National security.
The big problem in India is that the MOD is secluded from Foreign relations. The External Affairs Ministry comprising of bureaucrats of the similar genre as the IAS feel that they are the only ones who know every thing about diplomacy and external relations of India. The reality is far from it and one can see how they have created an image of a weak India who runs to Western countries for a motherly hug when our neighbours inflict wounds on us.
Energy Security has definite and crucial connotations of seaward defence, Air defence, Army's deployment and Homeland defence.
Even the name of the Home Minister is missing!! I suppose HE IS THERE.
Lt Gen Harbhajan Singh (Retd)
Former Signal Officer in Chief

The silent Bangladeshi invasion of Assam

2010-05-14 17:52:29
Subir Ghosh​
A week ago, an unsettling incident occurred in Assam that went largely unnoticed in the Indian media.
Over a thousand suspected illegal migrants crossed the Dhansiri river and, with impunity, took over parts of Orang National Park in Darrang district in the early hours of May 6, 2010
India has 20 million illegal migrants
Enumeration of electors in Assam by the Election Commission showed more than 30 per cent increase in 17 Assembly constituencies and more than 20 per cent increase in 40 constituencies between 1994 and 1997.

Read more: The silent Bangladeshi invasion of Assam
Subir Ghosh is a senior Delhi -based journalist. He blogs at http://www.write2kill.in/

Home Minister keeps his MHA on the toes

We need to congratulate Home Minister for keeping his Ministry on the toes. Read the Report card of Home Ministry for April 2010
P Chidamabaram's Profile
Background & Education: Palaniappan Chidambaram, or PC, as he is popularly known in the Indian press, was born on September 16, 1945 in the village of Kanadukathan in Sivaganga District of Tamilnadu state, India. He studied at Presidency College, Chennai, India and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree and then received his Bachelor of Law degree from the Law college of the University of Madras, Chennai. He later went to the Harvard Business School where he took his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. In 1968, he married Nalini, a successful lawyer in her own right. They have a son, Karti P Chidambaram.
Click here for complete Profile of P Chidambaram

Report Card of Ministry of Home Affairs for April, 2010
The Union Home Secretary, Shri G.K. Pillai presented the Report Card of the Ministry of Home Affairs for April 2010 here today. Following is the text of his statement:
“I present before you the report of the Ministry of Home Affairs for the month of April, 2010. I also take this opportunity to present the achievements for the full financial year 2009-10 under certain heads. As the month draws to a close, we remember with great sadness the tragedy that occurred in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh. 75 CPRF and 1 State police personnel were killed by the CPI (Maoist) in an ambush on April 6, 2010. The Home Minister visited Jagdalpur on April 7, 2010 to pay homage to the brave officers and jawans. Home Mimister’s statement at Jagdalpur and in Parliament contain the Government’s response to the tragedy. While many lessons will be learned from this incident, our resolve to fight the menace of naxalism remains strong and undiluted.
Read the detailed Report Card
Report Card of Ministry of Home Affairs for April, 2010

Comment: The Home Ministry will do well to get rid of all the corrupt bureaucrats and set an example to the other Ministries. The IB, CVC, CBI should be tasked on rigorous sting operations to expose the Bureaucrats reeking in Hawala and Black money and Money Laundering and a few having Swiss Bank and similar accounts.

Misuse of Police Force for VIP Protection: Can we defeat Naxals?

Difference between Canada and India
Dear Friends,
My grandson is in his school's volleyball team. The other day I drove him to a big sports complex about 80 kms away for taking part in All Ontario school matches. He said his first match was against an Ottawa team. While the teams were warming up, guess who walks in ...... none other than Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of Canada. He had come to watch his son play for his school in Ottawa. He was received by just one official, was ushered to a spectator bench where he sat along with all the other parents. No sniffer dogs, no black cats, no automatic weapons, no gun toting guards, no mobbing, no hysteria, no fawning over the Pradhan Mantri Ji !! To emphasize the informality of the occasion, he wasn't even wearing a tie.

Our eyes met and I asked him if I could have a photo with him ( I had spotted his official camera girl taking a few of them ). Sure Sir, he said, what's your name. I told him it was Krishan. It's my pleasure Krish-anne, he said, and his right arm went around my right shoulder. I asked him if it was done for the PM to put his arm around a very ordinary citizen. Absolutely, he said, unless the citizen objected. I assured him I did not object but it was a pleasent surprise.
The pic was shot and the camera girl gave me a card with her name and email id plus my photo number. One e-mail to her and I received the attached photo.
I had a dekho outside. Just 3 cars, no police escort cars with lights and sirens. Not a single policeman on the vast grounds or on the roads leading to the venue. Apparently, all the police men and women were busy doing their normal policing duties to live upto their motto of ' To Serve and Protect'.

My friends, this is the difference between Canada and India. If the Prime Minister and all politicians intermingle freely with and listen to the common folks, if the police are not used and misused in the name of VIP security, then dragons like maoism and naxalism do not get to spawn.

So, have look at the photo. If you cannot make out who Stephen is, well he is the one with specs. AND, ham bhi kisi Manmohan Ji se kam nahin, ham ne bhi Harper Ji ke saath tasveer khichai hai!!
Regards,
Cdr KK Punchhi (Retd), 7th JSW Course, Naval Aviation, settled in Canada

Do VIPs need security in India?
Not really. Hardly 0.0001 percent population own licensed guns. Hence chances of getting shot is negligible/ remote. Instead of misusing Police for VIP security they should be employed to apprehend illegal gun- toting criminals and assist in decriminalisation of citizens by the state who presently encourage citizens to participate in corrupt/ illegal activities.

Dantewada Massacre: Raw face of Central incompetence

Dear Friends,
An article I received. Worth reading.
Regards,
Major Ramesh Agnani(Retd)

The introductory note below is by an Infantry officer
Below is an article written by Gen Malick. I have had first hand experience with training these police guys at the CIJW School in Vareingte. As u all know this is the premier institution in the world where jungle warfare training is conducted. Even the US Green beret troops come here. The CRPF and police fauj who come are just not interested in training. Half of them report sick on the first day including the company cdr. the other half just won't train. They are mostly overage and don't consider this their job. some come without weapons and better still no ammunition. Their job is to extort money, that's it.
The best part is that they feel by wearing a black patka and camo dress they are commandos. Help! This attitude was brought out to the Home Ministry numerous times by AHQ, unfortunately no one cares.
Dantewada was waiting to happen.
Read more:
Dantewada Massacre: Raw face of Central incompetence by Lt Gen NS Malik, PVSM,former Deputy Chief of Army Staff

Governance or a fake democracy?

I sent the enclosed letter to the Home Minister on 8 Apr 10 by fax and by courier. It has taken a different tack from what Gen NS malik has taken but, ultimately the question of leadership, governance and movement of ex service men into PMF are issues that the government must take immediate action on. I am not sending it to a paper as it will not see light of the day.
Lt Gen SK Bhari (Retd)
1st JSW Course, Former MGO

Governance
It was a long time ago, possibly 20 years, that I last wrote a letter to you. You were MOS in the same ministry and I was MGO in Army HQ. It was as a consequence of a meeting you had called in MOD, to discuss the supply of small arms to the police forces which were in their 3rd/4th qtr of life! I had explained to you that life of only artillery and tank guns is measured in quarters of life and small arms are only checked if the prescribed gauges pass through them or not.

This time I am writing about a much more serious matter. You being one of the few “proactive ministers” who has brought about substantive changes in whatever charges have been given to you, I am taking the liberty of writing on a matter which concerns us all.

The trigger for this letter has been the recent statement to the press by the Home Secretary, wherein he stated that a number of ex servicemen (ESM) are helping train the Maoists. The country is facing a very serious challenge from these destructive elements and the fact that a segment (ESM) whose loyalty to the nation is seldom questioned, is helping a rebellious force needs to be viewed with great concern. I remember in the early`60s a retired JCO, Nb Sub Pan Singh, had played havoc in the Chambal ravine area as he had created his own gang of dacoits. The reason for his going that way was that he had been deprived of a piece of his land by some powerful landlord and despite his pleas to the persons responsible for governance, nobody helped him. I am sure these alleged ESM must also be nursing a similar grouse.

Mr Minister, GOVERNANCE in the country has become the biggest casualty in the last 40 years or so. Unless some serious and concerted effort is made there will be many more Pan Singhs and ESM waiting to join Maoists or other anti national groups. Shouldn’t we all sit up and do something about it?

I joined the corporate sector soon after my retirement and saw things which I had been largely isolated from, in my 38 years of army service. Be it the IAS officers in the NOIDA Authority, or in the UP government, sales tax , income tax, excise, labour officers, minor judiciary or the electricity departments – everyone was on the take! If you resisted, they could bring your business to a halt and make you lose much more than what they demanded. Worse is that there was no one you could turn to. I am surprised that the corporate sector has not started their own vigilante force to get out of the clutches of a corrupt bureaucracy. Trouble is that they are a divided lot as some are able to bribe their way through and make huge profits while denying the government a large portion of its tax dues.

Unfortunately law abiding people are being dealt with a double whammy. Firstly, they are not allowed to go about their businesses without let or hindrance and secondly, law breakers are permitted to avoid paying their taxes make illegitimate profits and deny their workers a fair living wage in connivance with the guardians of the law.

What the police does or does not do is an open secret, as is evident from the daily newspapers. It is also a major contributor to misgovernance in the country and accretion to the ranks of law breakers. A simple case in point. Why is there total anarchy on our roads? The enforcers are totally bereft of any knowledge about road rules and etiquette, permit encroachments on the roads so, how can they prevent road rage which is becoming a major law & order problem and chaos on the highways.

Have you noticed that as the country is descending into lawlessness the state governments are turning more and more to ESM to train their policemen to manage their responsibilities. Is it not ironic that the same police officers who have been letting their hapless constabulary get slaughtered by the Maoists, have been resisting the induction of ESM in their ranks as they claim that they have a different `culture’. Reality is that the ESM will disturb their `give and take’ culture.

The recently launched Op GREEN HORN is in reality being run by green horns. 86 policemen being killed in two days and not a single officer killed or punished for not leading his subordinates is too much of a joke. There is speculation that eventually the Army will be called in, as per SOP. Army officers and men will get killed and the Ashok Chakras will be collected by police officers wearing a lot of brass and sitting behind huge desks. Surely some more DGP vacancies will be created and another force raised to accommodate them!

The government has to take a stand if it does not want the nation to reach the same anarchic state as some of our neighbours. Instead of constantly rewarding non-performers, for our country’s sake please use the same firm and well thought out measures against them, that you are using against the Maoists. We need a similar cleansing of this cancer in our vitals.

The 6th Pay Commission has been hijacked by the civil servants, despite their poor record in governance (except a very small minority), at the cost of the Defence Services. By denying them and the ESM their legitimate dues you are preparing grounds for swelling the ranks of other unlawful entities. The solution is in our hands we only have to take action and nip corruption at its roots and not let a minority of the government servants milk and destroy the country. I have said it in so many words to the PM but he is not inclined to listen. Possibly, because he does not want to take any stern action against his erstwhile colleagues! I am sincerely hoping that you will stop the drift before it is too late. As a concerned believer in INDIA I hope you will take prompt action to stem this rot any further.

Mr P Chidambaram
Hon’ble Minister of Home Affairs
Government Of India
North Block
New Delhi 110011

File photo of Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram addressing a conference in New Delhi. PTI Photo

Puducherry, Apr 10 (PTI) Home Minister P Chidambaram said today said earmarking Rs 1,47,000 crore for India's defence budget was "absolutely necessary and inevitable" as neighbours like Pakistan did not have a friendly attitude towards the country.

"Had the neighbouring countries been stable, peaceful and were oriented in a friendly manner towards India, our allocation of such a big fund for defence in the budget would not have arisen," he said at a meeting organised by Puducherry PCC as part of the 125th year celebrations of party formation.

Referring to internal security, Chidambaram said the budget for the current fiscal is expected to be Rs 40,000 crores to address the requirements of para military forces and the police.
Hefty allocation for defence is necessary: Chidambaram

Comment: Many Politicians forget the 1962 China war! What Home Minister needs to remember is that the success of Para Military Foces depends on the Jawans on ground led by frontline Officers and not the high tech gagetry as recommended by the Secretary Home Ministry. One needs to be cautious and judicious before going on a spending spree. Morale of troops is important to that extent the PMF need to trained and looked after. Maoists are looting PMF weapons and also procuring them with impunity. Can we not plug the loop holes by curtailing their finances and monitoring the porous borders?

Gen SF Rodrigues (Retd) in a fix?

Punjab Governor threatens defamation proceedings against CNN IBN

The Punjab Governor-cum-Administrator, Union Territory of Chandigarh Gen (retd) S F Rodrigues sought an apology from CNN-IBN authorities and threatened to launch criminal and legal proceedings against the channel authorities if they fail to comply for the repeated telecast of the reported audit findings of the Union Home Ministry and the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) of sale of prime land at low rates to prominent IT companies in the Union Territory.

The legal notice seeking criminal prosecution for defaming the Governor was served by Mr Anupam Gupta, Standing Counsel for the UT and a Punjab and Haryana High Court lawyer.

Referring to the telecast of the news item on the land sale subject, beginning on the evening of October 15, the notice that that CNN-IBN has been engaged in "a wanton, malign and repeated telecast of completely outrageous, egregiously false and wholly indefensible slander of the Governor".

"The telecast(s) contents whereof are a matter of record, have been viewed by millions of people around the country and the world and have inflicted grave, incalculable and irreparable damage to the reputation, character and credibility of Gen Rodrigues for which your Channel and all of you, jointly and severally, bear full responsibility", the notice stated.

The enormity of the defamation practised by the Channel against Gen Rodrigues, holding him up before the entire country and the world as a corrupt Head of State/Government involved in a scam running into thousands of crores by corruptly selling off precious government land in the Union Territory to private builders/developers is appalling, the notice said.

" Suffice it to state that your stark and explicit assertions of corruption against him, without a shred or little of evidence and without even a pretence of an attempt or effort at verification from Gen Rodrigues or the Chandigarh Administration, is a gross and blatant abuse of the profession of journalism and exceeds by far the boundaries of freedom of speech and expression delimited by the Constitution and the law", the notice said. UNI

Punjab Governor threatens defamation proceedings against CNN IBN
Read more
Punjab Governor challenges the Union Home Ministry for putting the Chandigarh mega projects under the scanner
Punjab Governor serves notice to TV channel

Defence Forces lead the search for Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister

Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in May 2009, during his swearing-in-ceremony as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh state in Hyderabad, India. (Mahesh Kumar A. / Associated Press)
Frantic search on for Andhra CM as daylight slips away
New Delhi, Sep.2 (ANI): As the search for the missing Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister has intensified, the Air Force’s Sukhoi-30 aircraft has been pressed into service to help in the ongoing operations.

“A Sukhoi-30 aircraft has left Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh to search out for the missing Andhra Pradesh CM. It will carry out its search in the Nallamalla region for the CM,” stated a TV report at 8 o’clock.

As part of government attempts to search for the missing CM, the Army is sending 500 commandos of its Special Force “Ghatak”, who are specially trained in the jungle warfare.
Air Force pressed into service for search
Frantic search on for Andhra CM as daylight slips away

Mumbai Commando Operations- relevant facts

Dear Colleagues,

I had taken part in a TV programme from 2100 to 2300 hours on 28 Nov on 'Live India'. Mr Mitra, IPS the former Special Secy Security was there too. Mr Shakeel Ahmed, MOS Ministry of Home was on a phone-in. Most of you might have missed the pgme since it does not seem like a popular channel. Some of the relevant points I made are given below:

Although the NSG has a mixed composition, the NSG commandos you see slithering down into danger are all from the Special Action Group, which is a pure Army unit within the NSG. (The anchor had already introduced me as the first Chief Instructor of the NSG, which would have added authenticity to my statement).

When the crowd was shown cheering and applauding the NSG commandos, I had drawn attention to the fact that after their three year deputation with the NSG, they would revert to the Army and almost 60% of these brave men would be compulsarily retired at the age of 35 years when their family financial commitments would be at the highest. The pension being too meagre, these brave men with all their courage, skills, nationalism and their sense of sacrifice would be seeking a security job with some private agency for Rs 2,000.00.

In the two hour pgme there were many other points made. But of direct relevance to our current IESM struggle are the above two points. The first point seems to have rattled the DG NSG who kept saying later (elsewhere) that the commandos are not from the Army but from the NSG. That may not be technically wrong but neither he nor anyone else can deny that within the NSG, the risky nut-cracking job is given to the pure Army unit and the support role is assigned to the units composed of CPOs. This is also borne out by the fact that all the three (some reports say two) NSG commando martyrs are from the Army. The operations and training in the NSG come under the Army elements and a serving Army Maj Gen has the designation of IG (ops) whereas the administration comes under the police with an IPS officer being posted as the IG (Adm). It may be worth emphasizing the above facts in the prevailing public mood.

Best regards,
Lt Gen (Emeritus) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Chairman IESM

We thank General Kadyan for projecting the correct perspective of the Armed Forces. The nation deserves to be enlightened. It is pertinent to note that most of the brave commandos will after 15- 20 years service be consigned to a security agency for a montly pay averaging Rs 2000 (approx $40 per month). What a tragedy! The MOD and DGR need to urgently honour a Jawan and not degrade his status perpetually.
Veterans' Voice

National Security Guard

December 1999: Terrorists hijack Indian Airlines flight IC814 from Nepal, and land in Amritsar, Punjab. Within minutes of landing the Crisis Management Group (CMG), which authorizes the use of the NSG, is informed. But the CMG wastes precious hours and by the time the go-ahead is issued, it is too late. On the other hand, the NSG team on alert was elsewhere and no other team was raised during the delay. By the time the NSG reached Amritsar airport the hijackers became restless and ordered the plane to takeoff. Here too the NSG missed their opportunity by not blocking the runway or shooting out the planes tires. The plane lands in Kandahar, Afganisthan where one hostage is killed. Finally the Indian government agrees to the terrorists demands to release 3 jailed terrorists. The hostages are released and the terrorists escape to Pakistan.

Ongoing: The NSG is used extensively to guard VIPs and VVIPs, especially those in the 'Z-plus' category. Many NSG personnel are seconded to the Special Protection Group (SPG) which guards the Prime Minister. However, the use of NSG for VIP protection has spiralled out of control recently. More than 19 persons currently enjoy NSG protection, mainly as a status symbol. The Home Minister has clamped down on this misuse and is currently phasing out the use of the NSG for VIP protection in all but the most serious cases (Z-plus category). From now on, NSG coverage will be provided based on a persons threat perception rather than status. This move has freed up a large number of operators for other missions. The NSG is also in demand as security consultants and are known to be active in the Middle East.
NATIONAL SECURITY GUARDS- Bharat Rakshak
NSG- Official website