ESM Welfare Thiruvananthapuram

State would favourably consider issues concerning ex-servicemen and service personnel:CM
Thiruvananthapuram 05-10-2012: Inaugurating the Civil-Military Liaison Conference, CM said that the State would favourably consider issues concerning ex-servicemen and service personnel.
He added that exemption in age criterion, weightage mark, and reservation for ex-servicemen would be considered in select posts apart from strengthening the functioning of ex-servicemen’s grievance redressal cells.
The Sainik Welfare Board should take up recruitment of kin of war heroes and those incapacitated during action to civilian posts in Defence establishments including the Canteen Stores Department (CSD) said the CM.
The State would ensure land for expansion activities of Army units stationed here, including handing over of 10 acres at Muttathara or Vithura for rehabilitation of ex-servicemen.
There are no hassles in handing over 70.40 acres near the Cochin international airport at Nedumbassery for the Coast Guard Air Enclave. The Army could prepare a consolidated list of land issues it faces, to be discussed in a separate meeting led by the Chief Secretary and the Collectors concerned, the CM said.
Civil Military liaison Conference

Mysore: 50 pc property tax relief for ex-servicemen

50 pc property tax relief for ex-servicemen
Sreekantswamy B, Mysore, DHNS:
Families of retired ex-servicemen, who have been given privileges, can now add another to the list. The State government has decided to waive 50 per cent of the property tax for their houses or land.
The Karnataka Gazette Extra-ordinary, published on April 28, 2012, states that according to the Karnataka Municipalities And Certain Other Law (Amendment) Act, 2011, it is said that “the municipal council may exempt 50 per cent of the property tax on any one piece of land or building belonging to an ex-serviceman or the family of a deceased ex-serviceman.” But there are clear conditions.
An ex-serviceman is defined as a person who has served in the regulary Army, Navy and Air Force of the Union, at any rank. He or she may also be a person who has served in Defence Security Corps, the General Reserve Engineering Force, the Lok Sahayak Sena and Paramilitary forces. The family of the deceased ex-serviceman can include the father, mother, a surviving spouse and dependent children. The ex-serviceman and their dependents are liable for the tax rebate only if they reside at the home being submitted for consideration. The ex-serviceman should also be a permanent resident of the State — a fact that should be verifiable by the Sainik Welfare Board.
The Governor has approved the amendment on April 26, 2012. R S Vishwanath, the deputy director of Sainik Welfare and Resettlement Board, also confirmed that he had received instructions to enforce the rule. To this effect, he said that he has written to the commissioner of Mysore City Corporation, chief executive officer of Zilla Panchayat, and local bodies of seven taluks in the district. A reply is pending.
The tax relief was first proposed in the budget and was expected to go into practice from the following year.
By taking steps to implement the rule, the State joins Maharashtra where several municipal corporations, such as Thane and Navi Mumbai, have already been providing tax relief for ex-servicemen, although with changes and with a varied percentage. Nearly 4,000 ex-servicemen and their dependents currently live in Mysore, Mandya and Chamarajanagar.
50 pc property tax relief for ex-servicemen
Comment: The property tax should be exempted for all ESM Nationwide. This should be the primary and enabling task of Secretary ESM (IAS Officer) who right now is cooling his heels in this appointment.

Indian Army launches campaign for ex-servicemen

Indian Army launches campaign for ex-servicemen
Lucknow: The Indian Army on Tuesday launched a campaign aimed at deepening its respect for aged and retired soldiers.

The army's Central Command launched the "Year of the Veteran" campaign in the presence of several ex-army men and serving officers.
They were drawn from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, an army official said. Lt Gen Anil Chait opened the event.
With over 300,000 ex-servicemen, the officer said two pilot projects had been taken up.
So far 911 complaints regarding issues like housing and pension have been registered with the army.
In the first phase, an officer said that army teams had fanned out in villages to obtain data about the problems faced by ex-servicemen.
Indian Army launches campaign for ex-servicemen

Army Jawans seek instant redressal

Army jawans ransack police station, beat up cops
PTI | Sep 11, 2012, 07.28PM IST
JAMMU: Army jawans allegedly ransacked a railway police station and beat up cops on duty, injuring six of them, in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir. Cases were registered against the army troopers for allegedly beating up and injuring the cops last night, police officials said here today. The trouble erupted following an altercation between an Army jawan and GRP personnel, they said.
The jawan had allegedly unplugged the metal detector installed at the railway station to charge his mobile phone.
When the policemen objected to this, an altercation ensued between them after which the armyman was taken to the police station. On getting information about the incident, the jawan's colleagues, including some officers, reached the police station and allegedly went on a rampage, the officials said. They beat up the policemen on duty injuring six cops, they said. They also took away the jawan with them. The army jawans were waiting for a train at the Kathua railway station for their journey outside the state.
Police booked the jawans for beating and injuring the cops, the officials said. When asked about the incident, the PRO Defence said the Army was yet to come out with a statement on the matter. The jawans belonged to the 225 field regiment stationed at Janglote in the Kathua district.
Army jawans ransack police station, beat up cops
Lessons Learnt
Jawans do not have access to online booking because they are posted at a location without internet or telephone. The only thing the Railways can do is to give them one bogey for hundreds of Jawans going on leave from J & K. Alternatively the units need to book their tickets online in bulk for the leave party. Jammu Railway Station is always chaotic and unfriendly.

Indian Army’s growing morale problem
Today the cost of living has risen much more than the wage increments. Given increased land prices and other avenues of income, the army has lost some of its sheen as a sought-after employer. A recent comment in the Indian media reads:
“An objective review of the manner in which the pay, allowances and status of the military have been lowered over the last two decades reveals some startling facts. The average ‘fauji’ (soldier) retires at a much younger age than the civilian counterpart who serves up to age 60. Many anomalies abound.”
Indeed, it is important for New Delhi to closely look for solutions to pre-empt the disgruntlement among the jawans turning alarming levels. There are already rising instances of industrial unrest in India.
Dissatisfied workers of car manufacturer Maruti brutally assaulted management cadres recently, killing a senior executive and injuring several others. The Maoist violence in large tracts of Central and Eastern India is linked to mining companies exploiting the local tribal populations resulting in deep grievances.
Unlike its neighbors Pakistan, Bangladesh or Nepal, the Indian army has remained largely apolitical and has worked well under civilian political leadership since India’s independence in 1947. The Indian jawan deserves his due.
(Siddharth Srivastava is a New Delhi-based journalist. He can be reached at sidsri@yahoo.com)
Read the full article of declining Morale of Troops
Indiscipline growing due to disconnect in the command and control structure: This video clip proves the point!