Dated: 14 Jul 2012 Dr. Manmohan Singh Hon’ble Prime Minister of India 10 Parliament House New Delhi -11
ANOTHER COMMITTEE OF BUREAUCRATS HEADED BY CABINET SECRETARY ON PAY AND PENSIONS OF DEFENCE PERSONNEL INCLUDING ONE RANK ONE PENSION (OROP)
Hon’ble Prime Minister,
1. We are surpresed to know that the Govt has once again constituted another Committee of six secretaries headed by the Cabinet Secretary to go into One rank one pension (OROP) and other pay and pension related issues of Defence personnel both serving and retired. Why this committee has been ordered sans all logic? The committee of these very secretaries headed by the Cabinet Secretary was ordered during the last LS Elections. Without assigning any sustainable logic and quoting old references where OROP had been denied, it had rejected the demand of OROP.
2. The Rajya Sabha Petition Committee on OROP comprising MPs from all parties heard all stake holders for over 7 months. Four out of the five secretaries of the newly constituted committee ie Defence, Finance, Expenditure and DESW were called for evidence by the Rajya Sabha Committee. They all, on frivolous reasons gave evidence against the grant of OROP. The petition committee after deliberating on all the evidence brought before it, strongly rejected the reasons put across by these four secretaries to deny the OROP and strongly recommended the grant of OROP and tabled its report in the Rajya Sabha on 19 Dec 2011.
3. It is a travesty of justice that the Govt, which, as per the existing rules and Standard Operating Procedures was required to take decision on the Petition Committee and Action Take Report ie (ATR) by the Govt was due within three months ie by 19 Mar 2012, has not done so, and instead in order to further delay, harass and finally reject OROP, once again has ordered the new committee of the same five bureaucrat secretaries. Sir what can we expect from this committee? They had already rejected OROP and gave evidence against it to the Petition Committee. It is foregone conclusion that, they will again give the same reasons and reject the OROP.
4. Mr. Prime Minister Sir, we had in our letter dated 05 July 2012 requested you to accept the Petition Committee Report on OROP and grant the same to all Defence Personnel at the earliest. We are yet to receive acknowledgement and we do not know whether the letter has been put up to you (Copy enclosed).
5. Sir, we earnestly request you to cancel the constitution of this new committee of bureaucrats, since such a committee infuses no confidence in the Defence personnel both serving and retired. We are of the view that 24 lacs veterans and over 3 lacs widows would not want to have another committee which will reject theirs most genuine demand of OROP.
6. It will be pertinent to mention that the present status of the issues which have been assigned to this committee is as under:-
(a) Non Functional Upgradation. This has already been granted to Gp A services, IPS viz IAS, IFS. It was not extended to Defence Officers for the reasons not known. The only thing known to us is that the 6th CPC had no representation from Defence Forces serving or retired. The Govt has to take a call on it and extend the same policy to the Defence officer for which no committee is required to be formed.
(b) HAG + to all Lt Gen. It is already applicable to Addl Secy, DGPs and 25% of Lt Gen and equivalent. It only needs to be extended to all Lt Gen. Again there is no need for another committee recommendation.
(c) One Rank One Pension. The petition Committee of Rajya Sabha has strongly recommended grant of OROP and rejected the reasons given by four of five secretaries of this committee to deny the OROP. The Govt has to take decision on the Petition Committee Report and inform the Parliament as Action Taken Report. Another committee of secretaries who have given their evidence against the grant of OROP will serve no purpose. Definitely, the Petition Committee of Parliament has far higher status then the Committee of Secretaries. It will be an insult of the Parliament if committee of secretaries is given higher consideration.
(d) Enhancement of Family Pension. This most needy segment of Defnece pensioners was left out when Pensions of JCOS and Ors were enhanced in Mar 2010. It was grave injustice done to them. The reasons subsequently given by the MoD to deny them the enhancement, to say the least sans all logic. RM during IESM delegation meeting had assured that this anomaly will be removed and it had the blessings of UPA chairperson. He later informed that he had cleared the file for enhancement of widows pension, however, Finance Ministry has rejected it. The matter is between RM & FM and needs no review by another committee of secretaries.
(e) Enhancement of Grade Pay of Lt Col/Col/Brig and Removal of Pay Anomalies of Other Ranks. These are the anomalies which have been in detail deliberated upon by the Service HQs and strongly recommended for sanction by the Govt. There is no need to have another review by a committee of secretaries.
7. Mr. Prime Minister Sir, you are aware that together the Defence Personnel serving and retired, their family members and supporters have voting strength of over six crores. There are over sixty large cantonments and over 250 military stations in the country. Continue apathy and disregard of their genuine demands by the present UPA govt is likely to polarize them against it. They are also getting restless and are no longer wanting to wait for any length of time.
8. May we request you earnestly to sanction OROP and other issues assigned to this committee immediately and cancel the newly constituted committee of secretaries headed by the Cabinet Secretary? If at all the Govt wants to have another opinion before taking the decision, let the Committee of the following be formed immediately to give its report by 08th Aug 2012 as per the schedule of the newly formed committee :-
(a) Chairman - One of the retired chiefs (Gen V.P. Malik, (Recommended by SC for Armed Forces Grievance Redressal Commission (AFGRC))
(b) Members :-
(i) One Serving Vice Chief (From Army/Navy/Air Force)
(ii) One ESM Gen Officer - Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi,
(Recommended by SC for Armed Forces Grievance Redressal Commission (AFGRC))
(iii) Defence Secretary
(iv) Finance Secretary.
With Regards, Jai Hind Yours Sincerely,
Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM Vice Chairman Indian Ex Servicemen Movement Mobile: 9312404269, 0124-4110570 Email: satbirsm@gmail.com Copy to :-
Sh. A.K. Antony, - For information and action please. Defence Minister, 104, South Block, New Delhi
Gen Bikram Singh, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC Chief of the Army Staff Integrated HQs of Armed Forces (Army) South Block, New Delhi-110011
Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma, PVSM, AVSM, ADC Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of the Naval Staff Integrated HQs of Armed Forces (Navy) South Block, New Delhi-110011
Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne, PVSM, AVSM, VM Chief of the Air Staff Integrated HQs of Armed Forces (Air Force) Vayu Bhawan, New Delhi-110011
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