Date: Saturday, 2 May, 2009, 9:58 PM
Dear Colleagues,
Rumours have been ripe that the PM during his election visit to Punjab on 03 May would announce benefits for military pensioners. (In fact almost a week ago a Hindustan Times correspondent had told me of it during a telephonic interview. He then published my remarks in the Chandigarh edition of the HT– not very faithfully.) Let us wait and see what the PM announces, if he does.
The three recent benefits have been totally officer-related i.e. Lt Cols in PB4, HAG+ for 33% Lt Gens and Colonels getting their rank in 15 years instead of the earlier 20. This has expectedly sent a wrong signal to the PBOR that the system does not care for them. In the fitness of things, they should have cleared the pending point of weightage for the PBOR first. (The RM had confirmed to me during a meeting on 18 Dec 2008 that this would come through). I wonder if the Govt took/ takes any advice on such matters.
Best regards,
Lt Gen (Emeritus) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Chairman IESM
