Thursday, September 29, 2011

ESM sitrep 28 Sep evening

Dear Colleagues,
I have received a reply this month from the Defence Minister to my query as to why the widows have been kept out of the pension-enhancement of 2010. The response unfortunately is a mere repetition of the earlier communications from the government on this subject. It again states that since the pension is related to the last pay drawn, it cannot apply to the deceased. That is incomprehensible. The enhancement covered the pre-2006 retiree pensioners. The enhanced pension sanctioned for them after the Cabinet Secretary’s Committee recommendations, also has no relation to their last pay drawn. But then these are the ways of the bureaucracy!
The Civil Services aspirants these days have to take a filter written test before they can qualify for the competitive examination; this is apparently to cut down the number of applicants. In one of the mock question papers for this examination held in June 2011, there was a question on ‘one rank one pension’. OROP has acquired visibility.

Best regards,


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

Friday, September 9, 2011

ESM sitrep 07 September evening

Dear Colleagues,
The latest interaction with Shri Bhagat Singh Kothari, Chairman Rajya Sabha Petitions Committee on OROP reveals that that they are still working on the petition and expect to submit it to the government in November 2011. He assured me that he wants to make it a thorough job and is putting in it whatever ideas he himself has on the issue. Among other things he mentioned that the expenditure on OROP is not around Rs 3,000 Crore as earlier estimated. According to him it should be only 1200 to 1300 Crore. This is good news for us.
Having assured me that they would submit a convincing report he added the perpetually worrying clincher; ‘it is up to the government whether to accept it or not’.
You would recollect I had written a letter to the COAS on 19 August suggesting telecasting of Heroes-like programmes in Hindi too. (‘Heroes’ was an English language programme telecast by Times Now on 15 August for our gallantry awards winners). Some days ago I received a reply from the Army PIO – attached for information.

Best regards,


Lt Gen (Emeritus) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Chairman IESM
262, Sector-17A
Gurgaon- 122 001
Tele: 91+124-4015262
+919811226676

Monday, September 5, 2011

ESM sitrep 03 Sep evening



Dear Colleagues,

There may be apprehension that with all the other activities happening in the country of late, our OROP issue has been pushed to the background; some ESM are beginning to show diminishing patience with the government apathy. However, we intend pursuing it with the same eager zeal as heretofore. We are still awaiting the submission of the OROP report by the Rajya Sabha Committee on petitions. Thereafter the government will give its response. It is admittedly a long struggle.

Our motivator Gen Aditya Jaini has enrolled quite a few new members from Ghaziabad. We welcome the latest among these – No18017 Wg Cdr K K Verma.


Best regards,


Lt Gen (Emeritus) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Chairman IESM
262, Sector-17A
Gurgaon- 122 001