Veterans Welfare is above Politics

Reference IESM Letter to BJP: click here
Dear Gen Satbir,
Sorry for taking long in responding.
I have gone trough your letter to the hon'ble Shri Advani Ji. I am deeply impressed with your display of all pervading knowledge, even though flawed for some matters and the erudition. Three cheers for that. but that is all where the cheers end.
I am deeply dismayed by the initiative of yours. you and your great team seems to have learnt nothing from what I have been screaming hoarse to convey to you. why should you? Driven as you all are by your political ambitions. How does it matter if the cause for which you are pretending to be working goes for a six. Do you know by your shenanigans you had already made the task of achieving our aims a very difficult one and now with your such missives you are making it an unachievable one, despite your drum beatings about you being on the verge of achieving it. The great Chander will bear me out for he heard what the hon'ble RM had to say when he went along with me for his meeting.
Thanks to him who by his signals makes people believe what you say and also make veterans contribute enormous amount of money.
Some times back I had stated what the reply of the BJP government was when they were in power. It seems that you have either forgotten or ignored this in consideration of your personal political ambitions, the veterans be blown. That is as follows about the two issues that were of paramount importance to us.

OROP
This was considered in consultation with the ministry of finance, department of pensions and the same has not been found acceptable due to its larger financial and administrative considerations.

33 years conditionality
This was examined in consultation with the ministry of finance, department of pensions and the same has not been accepted on the premise that 33 years conditionality is a cardinal principle governing the pension structure and modification of it will have huge financial and administrative repercussions on civil side too.

For your kind information both these were more than adequately addressed by the present Government soon after they came to power. For OROP they gave parity with Fifth CPC and for the 33 years conditionality they reduced the effect to the most minimal amount. Now that has also gone, Perhaps you know this and also what this 33 years conditionality was all about. I called it a day light robbery on the pensions of soldiers. On OROP they set the precedence for future CPC's to give full parity to the veterans with their rates.

For a few friends who questioned my remarks about the political mentors and political ambitions of those at the helm of your outfit, i suggest please go through this mail very carefully. you would realize what this man with thirty years of seeing this tamasha says.

When OROP was ignored by the Sixth CPC, I represented and got a commitmetnt from the hon'ble RM to get full parity with Sixth CPC. That mail also i had put on the net.

Then your jamboorie started and vitiated the atmosphere for us all and stalled all initiatives of the only Government that was not only willng but most sympathetic to our well being. I quote the extracts of the letters of hon'ble RM on this issue for your's and all our friends information.

The honble RM's commitment
I am in receipt of your letter dated 14th feb 2009 regarding restoration of full paruty in pension of sixth pay commission rates. I have already forwarded your request for necessay action.

The only purposes your mail has achieved are of securing your own political ambitions, irrespective of whether the BJP comes to power or not and fooling unwary veterans to contribute more generously so that you continue doing what you all are. For God's sake stop making the task unachievable by your gimmickry.

Earlier we had one organization to contend with, now we have two to ruin matters for us achieving the ultimate. I used to tell them to shut their shop for a year or so we would achieve everything for the veterans, Now besides appealing to them if they are listening I appeal to both of you to quietly sit back and enjoy the fruits of your plunder while we appeal to the leadership to do the needful.

You dont seem to have learnt any thing form the demand of a JPC. In this the entire opposition is arraigned against the Government and still they refuse to concede. you think the opposition will line up lakhs of people to support you? That too the BJP who had rejected these demands when in power out of hand. I dont think you understand that the government in power has all the powers to meet your demands. The opposition only plays politics to extract a pound of flesh for themselves. Further their support only makes the Government reluctant to help. This is precisely what has happened.

My appeal to you and all those who have made you what you are to shut your shop for a year or so and enjoy the fruits of your plunder whle we in our own humble way try to get the leadership to concede our submissions. Can we hope to have a positive response? we shall be anxiously waiting to hear from you.
Best wishes
Lt Col Inderjit Singh
Chairman
ALL INDIA EX SERVICES WELFARE ASSOCIATION
M 35 PALIKA BHAWAN, RK PURAM, SECTOR 13, NEW DELHI 110066

RBI cracks the whip on erring banks who delay Pension Payments

My Dear Pensioners Friends,
Appended below is a letter written by RBI to all banks on Payment of Pension, use this if required, since certralised pension payment is normally delayed. MM

RBI ON PENSION PAYMENT- Interesting letter from RBI
The bank is paid Rs 60.00 per month to credit your pension every month- thus 60x12 = Rs 720.00 per year is the earning by the bank to pay you pension. I suppose arrears crediting must be over and above this. So no bank is doing you a favour. The circular below says they should pay you 2% interest if there is delay. Claim it !!
RBI clamps down on banks delaying pension payout
April 22, 2010 08:07 PM | Sucheta Dalal with Sanket Dhanorkar

Central bank wakes up to inordinate delays in payments faced by government pensioners; reprimands bankers and directs them to make good the dues immediately, along with penal interest

In what could be a major victory for government pensioners awaiting pension payments, the country’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has taken bankers to task for ‘inordinate delays’ in disbursing revised pension and arrears.

Taking a serious view of the matter, the RBI has issued a circular (dated 9 April 2010) to various banks with an exasperated tone, directing the concerned banks to ensure that all entitled pensioners are paid their revised pension or arrears within 15 days from receipt of the circular. Additionally, it has also advised the banks to make a penal interest payment of 2% for any delay beyond the due date.

The RBI was forced to take this tough stand after receiving several complaints from pensioners, especially State government pensioners, alleging inordinate delay in disbursing the revised pension and arrears. Under the 6th Pay Commission recommendations, RBI had advised pension-paying banks to put in place a suitable mechanism so that pensioners could get the benefits announced by the government in the succeeding month’s pension payment itself. The controlling offices or head offices of agency banks were also advised to closely monitor and supervise the timely and accurate disbursement of pension to the pensioners.

An RBI review of the pension payment systems in various agency banks revealed the true story behind the picture. The circular highlights RBI’s findings as follows:
“Even though Pension Relief Orders were issued by the respective State Governments, there is inordinate delay ranging from one month to 18 months at the Agency Bank level in disbursing the revised pension as also the pension arrears. The delay was more pronounced in the case of those State Govt pensioners residing outside their States drawing pension from Agency Bank branches. To be specific, non-State resident pensioners have not received adequate attention and timely receipt of the revised pension/arrears for months together.”

The circular goes on to highlight the discrepancies of banks in administering the pension payouts. “Our experience was that customer service on pension payment matters was not effective at the branch level where customers normally interface with the front office,” said the central bank’s communiqué.

The RBI also makes note of the lack of coordination between the branches and the Central Pension Processing Centres, as also the absence of transparency in the calculation of the revised pension or arrears.

In a tone that is vividly indignant, the RBI questions the concerned banks’ indiscretions. “Pension payment is an agency function entrusted to you for a commission @ Rs60 per transaction and an amount of Rs487 crore has been paid to Agency Banks on account of pension disbursements alone during the year 2008-09. Although this is a significant income generating activity, it appears that it is still not given the due importance that it deserves.”

In view of the above, the RBI has advised banks to undertake review of the system of attending to customer service and have a pension accounts guide at all branches to assist the pensioners in all their dealings with the bank. Additionally, RBI has demanded that suitable arrangements be made, to place on the bank website details about the pension calculations, and made available to the pensioners at periodic intervals with sufficient advertisements to that effect.

With the RBI finally wisening up to the reality and putting its foot down squarely on the Agency banks, they will have to take a deeper look at their archaic systems and make life easier for pensioners. As the RBI rightly puts it, “Pension is the lifeline of the pensioners and any delay in affording their legitimate dues will rob them of the dignity of life to which they are entitled to”.

Defence will have a say too in the NSCS

The long wait in the Defence services to have a say in the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) may get over soon, with Lt. Gen Prakash Menon, who is now NDC commandant, tipped to go on deputation to the NSCS. He is learnt to have a good rapport with the NSA and the grapevine has it that he may end up becoming Deputy NSA after his retirement sometime next year.
Defence will have a say too

Chennai Friday, Dec 31 2010 IST
Lt General B K Chengapa, AVSM, today relinquished his post as Commandant Andhra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka (ATNK and K Area), on attaining superannuation. He would be succeeded by Lieutenant General Prakash Menon, AVSM, VSM, a defence release said here. Lt General Chengapa expressed his satisfaction at the achievements of the area in all fields of responsibility and complimented all ranks for their hard work. He also thanked the Governments of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry for their support in ensuring the welfare of serving soldiers and the veterans. Lt Gen Chengapa superannuated after 39 years of distinguished service. During his tenure, Lt Gen Chengapa made concerted effort to improve the functioning of various welfare schemes for ex-servicemen and their families like Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme and ex-servicemen canteens. With his untiring effort and interaction with State Governments, long-pending requests for land for Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme and ex-servicemen canteens were cleared by the civil administration. He was also instrumental in getting placement for ex-servicemen in private companies with his close interaction with the corporate world
Lt Gen relinquishes post