Partap Singh Bajwa promises welfare package for Ex-servicemen

Reuters: Election 2009
Punjab Newsline Network
Friday, 01 May 2009
GURDASPUR: Gurdaspur Congress candidate, Pratap Singh Bajwa while addressing a massive rally of ex-servicemen (ESM) at Sarna near Pathankot today promised the retired soldiers to get their long pending dues settled besides exempting the serving personnel from income tax.

He said, coming from a family that has produced many eminent soldiers, war heroes and generals, I have an intimate knowledge of their problems and can envisage solutions to them. As a people’s leader, I understand that a soldier who protects the nation and countrymen must be supported by the government in every manner possible and this is what I am promising to my soldier brothers, he asserted.

The rally was attended hundred of people from an Army background. Bajwa said, justice must be done to the ESM community by accepting their just demand for One Rank One Pension.

He further said that he would take up the case with the Dr. Manmohan Singh, PM and formulate opinion inside and outside the government to help them get this long-pending and much awaited justice.

Punjab has long been the sword arm of the country, pointed out Mr. Bajwa. However, in recent years the decreased recruitment from the state has meant that fewer young men from Punjab are getting a chance to serve their country, he rued. I will strive for the scrapping of the unfair RMP formula for recruitment to be replaced by a more fair system based on merit, fitness and acceptability of military service, maintained Bajwa.

Bajwa also promised that he would streamline the Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme and also provide additional medical staff for them.

“I have already formed a panel of six eminent lawyers at the district level to provide free legal advice and aid, including representation in court for ex-servicemen. This will be further strengthened and the services extended to serving soldiers who face many legal and property problems. Besides, I will also take up the matter of opening more extension counters of CSD canteens in the remote areas of Gurdaspur with the Army authorities,” remarked Bajwa.

He said he would construct a Sainik Rest Houses for the comfort and convenience of soldiers and ESM at Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Dhar area.

Bajwa also proposed that a high-powered State Soldiers Tribunal should be set up to bring the issues to the notice of concerned authorities and resolve them.

Payment of OAP to all World War 2 veterans, provisions for payment of full salaries to all ESM working in PESCO, PSEB, bus stands and telephone exchanges as per Central guidelines and rules were some of his other promises to the ESM of his constituency.

During occasion, while supporting Bajwa in his efforts to help the servicemen, his elder brother, Brig. MPS Bajwa, YSM (retd), said that Pratap Singh Bajwa belongs to a family of soldiers and he has closely witnessed the plight of retired servicemen. What he is promising is not election agenda but something that he truly believes in and will fight for, asserted Brig. MPS Bajwa who is a war veteran of Bangladesh & Kargil war and was instrumental in capturing the Tiger Hill.
Partap Singh Bajwa promises welfare package for Ex-servicemen

Ex Servicemen League supports Congress in Punjab
Col Tihara, who had filed his nomination papers from Ludhiana parliamentary constituency as an independent candidate also withdrew his candidature in support of the Congress candidate Manish Tewari. He said, he was impressed with the policies of the Congress, particularly Amarinder Singh and Tewari towards the ex servicemen. He also appreciated the stand taken by Tewari in support of one rank one pension for the ex servicemen.

Thanking Col Tihara for his support, Tewari said, he has always been in favour of one rank one pension and he would ensure that this scheme is fully implemented without any delay or exception. He assured Col Tihara that he would ensure that the issues he has taken up for the redressal of the problems of the ex servicemen would be properly and duly addressed. He expressed his gratitude to the ex servicemen for their support to the Congress in general and to him in particular.
Ex Servicemen League supports Congress in Punjab
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Comment: Tall promises for garnering votes. The Ex Servicemen remain cheated and forgotten after every election cycle. Empty promises galore!

Tamilnadu Ex Servicemen Corporation Not DGR Empanelled

Extract of Madras High Court Judgement
TEXCO Vs DGR Empanelled Security Agencies

27. I have carefully considered the above submissions and I am not convinced by the argument of the learned Additional Advocate General in this regard. Admittedly, the petitioner TEXCO has not been sponsored by the DGR. A plain reading of Instruction 20 (l) of the DGR Instructions, as it is contended by the learned counsel appearing for some of the respondents, would go to show that it speaks of the seniority of the agencies sponsored by the DGR. If this Instruction is read along with the other DGR Instructions, the same would go to show that the term "seniority" only refers to the age of the Proprietor / Director of an agency. Therefore, the seniority as referred to in Instruction 20 (i) of the DGR Instructions cannot have any application to a State Government Owned Corporation. For these two reasons viz., (1) this Instruction applies only to agencies sponsored by the DGR and (2) the term "Seniority" refers only to the agencies other than the State Government run Corporations, I am of the view that the State Government Owned Corporation cannot have any preferential right over the other agencies, who were sponsored by the DGR.

28. It is the contention of the Additional Advocate General that the State Government Owned Corporation has been established for the welfare and resettlement of Ex-servicemen and their dependants and the members of the Corporation or share-holders of the Corporation and therefore, the petitioner TEXCO should have been given preference by BSNL over the Private Security Agencies. This argument may appear to be attractive, but it does not persuade the Court for the reasons which follow.

29. As I have already recorded in the earlier paragraphs of this order, the DGR has formulated the Scheme available to the Ex-commissioned Officers of the three services to provide security service to various establishments. It is not as though the private agencies are run outside the scope of the Scheme formulated by the DGR. The aim of the Scheme is not only to provide employment to Ex-servicemen , but also to provide opportunity for Ex-commissioned Officers of Armed Forces to run security service agencies. Thus, this Scheme provides benefits to the Ex-commissioned Officers as well as the Ex-servicemen and it serves duel purpose. Only with a view to keep a complete control over these agencies which are run by the Ex-Commissioned Officers, several measures have been taken by way of instructions to empanel the agencies to sponsor the same. At the time of empanelling the agencies run by the Ex-Commissioned Officers, there are various formalities, which are to be followed and there are various legal requirements, which are to be satisfied by the said Ex-commissioned Officers of Armed Forces. If once, the said agency is empanelled by the DGR, it becomes fully eligible to appoint Ex-servicemen as its members and then to enter into contracts with PSUs for providing security services by employing Ex-servicemen.

30. There may be several such agencies run by Ex-Commissioned Officers and if all are allowed to directly participate in the tenders and enter into contract with PSUs, some may get opportunity very frequently and some may not get opportunity for ever. That is one of the reasons, why, there is a requirement that such agency should be sponsored by the DGR. To provide equal opportunity for all and to distribute the work to various agencies in a fair manner, further instructions have been issued by the DGR to sponsor the agencies on the basis of rotation and on the basis of seniority. Thus, it is ensured that every agency, which is run by the Ex-Commissioned Officers get some opportunity to provide security service to PSUs. Thus the interest of the empanelled agency run by the Ex-Commissioned Officers is also protected.
TEXCO not an DGR Empanelled Corporation
High Court Judgement: TEXCO vs DGR Empanelled Security Agencies in Chennai
High Court of Madras: JUDGMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM


Ref link above: WP 21788 of 2009- High Court of Madras order dated 22-4-2009
ESM Corporations like TEXCO, (which also applies to PESCO, MESCO, HESCO, etc) having Chairman, Directors from IAS category is illegal. The 5th Respondent in WP No 21788 of 2009 in this order is me. I argued the case in person and other advocates were silent spectators. All the orders passed are based on my arguments and counter affidavits.
With best wishes and regards,
Col K Malaiappan (Retd)

IESM: Widows Travails and Banks Negative Response

Here is a case of one Sgt. ‘X’ GP I discharged on 28.2.90. He was drawing his pension through Canara Bank ‘X’ Branch in south Tamil nadu. He died on 11.11.2006. There was a clear endorsement for family pension in the PPO for paying family pension to Mrs.’Y’ from 12.11.2006. But the Bank dragged on and paid family pension after 11 months after his death that too after repeated representations and complaints. Since Sgt.’X’ died on 11.11.2006, his wife Mrs.’Y’ is eligible for LTA with the arrears as per Circular 350, which was not at all taken care off, which affected the enhanced rate of family pension payable to her.

As per the original PPO, the enhanced rate of family pension was as per 4th CPC which was Rs.564. It was to be revised to Rs.1732 as per 5th CPC. Again it was required to be revised as per Circular 350 to Rs.1892 (Table 62). Then again as per 6th CPC, her pension has to be revised to Rs.4277 (As per Annexure I)

When we explained all these terms of revising her pension as explained in the previous para, the Bank flatly refused and tried to hand over the responsibility to CDA(P) Allahabad. When our team leader showed a number of direct correspondence to CDA(P) and their replies to our Association, the Bank understood the complexity of the situation and finally requested our team leader to do every thing.

A most respected and trusted person, the Assistant Secretary of our Association, a retired Sgt. S.Kandiah (A retired Canara Bank Officer) took all the pain to convince the bank branch and calculated all the arrears and arranged payment within two days.

Due to the untiring efforts and with vast knowledge of PBOR pension work undertaken by our dedicated team leader Sgt S Kandiah (Age 68) the widow was paid all the arrears. Mrs.'Y's monthly pension was also revised from Rs 3915 to Rs 4277. Without the intervention of such a hard working and dedicated team leader, I am sure, the widow would have never got her correct pension in her entire life time.

Our ESM team leader is a great inspiration to us. I pray that may God the Almighty give him good health throughout his life to continue helping our fraternity. Now please think about other widows in similar situation. This is not the only case, there are so many such cases pending in all the banks, and we have got limited dedicated team leaders like Sgt S Kandiah. Therefore the only solution is to educate our ESM and widows about their entitlement and make them visit the ESM Association/ Organisations regularly and seek timely advice and fix their pensions correctly.
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Posted By Muthukrishnan to indianexserviceman at 5/01/2009 07:40:00 PM