Dr Manmohan Singh
Hon’ble Prime Minister of India
10 Parliament House
New Delhi -110011
CONSTITUTION OF COMMITTEE:
PAY & PENSIONS OF SERVING & RETIRED DEFENCE PERSONNEL
Hon’ble Prime Minister,
1. The fact that you have approved the constitution of a committee headed by Cabinet Secretary on issues of relevance to defence personnel both serving and retired (copy attached) shows your concern to resolve serious anomalies in their pay and pensions and grant them due justice.
2. However, we would like to bring to your notice a few of our serious concerns in this regard as under:-
(a) One Rank One Pension. When a Parliamentary Committee has already looked into the demand of One Rank One Pension (OROP) and recommended the same, would it be ethical for a committee of bureaucrats to examine the same demand? Wouldn’t this send a wrong message? Who is more important to the PM, the voice of elected representatives of a democracy or a body of career bureaucrats? In a democracy should the bureaucracy sit in judgment of the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee reports and court judgments? It is pertinent to mention that four of the five secretaries of the newly constituted committee ie Defence, Finance, Expenditure & DESW had appeared before the Petition Committee of Parliament and had given evidence against the grant of OROP. However, the Petition Committee had totally rejected their contention and strongly recommended the grant of OROP. The defence veterans are of the view that these secretaries are likely to repeat their already known view and the outcome of the newly formed committee is a foregone conclusion as far as OROP is concerned. Action Taken Report (ATR) on the Koshiyari Report, which the Govt was required to give by 19 Mar 2012, has not yet been given. Mr Prime Minister Sir, in order to meet the ends of justice, it is strongly recommended that the issue of review of OROP by this committee be taken off from the terms of reference and OROP be granted to all defence personnel in perpetuity based on the recommendation of Rajya Sabha Petition Committee immediately.
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(b) The second serious concern is regarding non-inclusion of serving and retired defence personnel as its members. You will agree that bureaucrats are perceived to have been behind the systematic down-gradation of status, pay and pensions of Defence Personnel. Otherwise, how one can explain 108 times increase in pension of senior most civilian employ from 1973 to 2006 while the pension of highest defence rank ie COAS has increased 45 times? A Sepoy is compulsorily retired after 15/17 years of service and not granted his 3rd career progression which is available to all other central govt employees. Non Functional Upgradation (NFU) is authorized to Grade A and IPS viz IAS, IFS and not authorized to Defence officers. The defence personnel feel that the main reason of injustice was that they were not represented in 6th CPC, the demand which was strongly made by all the three Chiefs and Joint Chief of Staff Committee but unfortunately not agreed to by the govt. Sir, the present composition of the committee infuses no confidence amongst the defence personnel both serving and veterans. We are of the view that 24 lakh veterans and over 3 lakh widows would not want to have another committee which may reject their most genuine demand of OROP. It is therefore, strongly felt that at least four members be included in the composition of the newly formed committee ie one each from serving Army, Air Force and Navy and one from Ex Servicemen.
7. Mr Prime Minister Sir, you are aware that together the Defence Personnel, serving and veterans, 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. Continued 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. In view of the foregoing we request the following:-
(a) OROP issue be delinked from the scope of this committee. Rajya Sabha Petition Committee Recommendations strongly recommending grant of OROP be accepted and OROP in perpetuity be granted to all defence personnel immediately.
(b) For remaining issues, the composition of the committee be amended to include three members from serving defence personnel and one from Ex Servicemen.
(c) Another important issue of reduction of unacceptable large gap between pre 2006 retiree Majors and Lt Col (over Rs 14000/- per month) be included in the terms of reference of this committee.
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 …3/-
-3- Copy to :-
Sh AK Antony For information and action please. Defence Minister 104, South Block New Delhi
Gen Bikram Singh, - With request for collective intervention PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC to address the serious shortcomings and Chief of the Army Staff consequent injustice to the defence forces. Integrated HQs of Armed Forces (Army) OROP must be got sanctioned at the earliest. South Block, New Delhi-110011
Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma, PVSM, AVSM, ADC Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee & 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
