Dear Veterans,
Finance Minister, in his budget speech, has just announced a little in-crease in pension exclusively for PBORs in the garb of ONE RANK ONE PENSION.
If I am not wrong "The Tribune" has explicitly clarified that the govt. has decided to remove an anomaly which was created after 5th Central Pay Commission when the pay/ pension for defence personnel was revised again in Oct. 1997.
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The Govt has decided to substantially improve the pension of defence pensioners below officer rank.
Meeting a long-pending demand of over a crore defence veterans and 12 lakh serving jawans, the government substantially increased the pension of ex-servicemen.
The new, revised pension would be implemented beginning this month, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Lok Sabha while presenting the Budget for 2009-10.
In essence, the government has accepted the recommendation of the high-level committee headed by Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar that was set up in April to look into the defence pensioners' demands.
"Based on the recommendation of the committee headed by Cabinet Secretary on 'One Rank-One Pension' (OROP), the government has decided to substantially improve the pension of pre-January one, 2006 defence pensioners below officer rank and bring pre-October 10, 1997 pensioners on par with post- October 10, 1997 pensioners," Mukherjee said.
The pre-January one, 2006 pensioners were affected following the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations last October, while the pre- and post-October 10, 1997 pensioners were impacted by the Fifth Pay Commission recommendations.
The Finance Minister also noted that the decision to increase the pensions for defence personnel would cost the exchequer over Rs 2,100 crore annually.
Mukherjee said the government had also decided to liberalise certain pension benefits being extended to war-wounded and other disabled pensioners.
Ex-servicemen organisations have been demanding OROP for several years now, as they felt that there was a disparity in the amount to personnel holding the same rank and service record, but retiring at different point of time.
Following the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations in March last year, the veteran outfits have been holding protests and rallies across the country to forcefully urge the government to concede their demand.
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And there started a big storm of E-mails on the blog run by Brig. Kamboj from some brother veterans who even went to air out their 'Will to go to Court, against this giving the reason that the officers have not been included in this'.
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"One Rank, One Pension Troops cheer, officers feel left out"
Please click on the following URL and read :
http://www.tribunei ndia.com/ 2009/20090707/ main4.htm
A clear case of "Divide & Rule"? What next is the obvious question that comes to mind.
I enclose below a 'repeat' of Lt.Gen.(retd) Harwant Singh's posting of 08 Sep 2008 to show that it may be futile to expect the 'Congress Govt.' to give the officer cadre its due. History tells us that sad story.
In such a situation, may I request for consideration:
(a) - Request IESM Veteran Officers who have not returned their medals to do so. The same to be handed over to the Rashtrapathi Bhavan.
(b) - Its HIGH TIME that the IESM took the Govt. to the Supreme Court, just like the Maj. Gens. did. Let all IESM members contribute to defray the expenses for the suit. Name the PM, Def. Minister, Fin.Minister, Cabinet Secy., Def.Secy and the Three Chiefs in the suit. Let the Law takes its course.
My apologies if I have offended your sensitivities please.
Warm Regards.
Bala
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An email received from Lt Gen Raj Kadyan, Chairman IESM, giving IESM SITREP for 07 Jul 09, is reproduced below.
Secondly.
The amount allocated in the Indian Union Budget 2009-10 toward OROP is Rs 2100 crore. If we divide this amount by 12 lakh as stated in the FM speech, we get a figure of Rs 17,500.00 per ESM. Even if we divide this figure by 22 lakh the total estimated number of ESM, we get a figure of Rs 9,545.00 per ESM.
May be I am wrong in the above calculations - please recheck.
If my above calculations are correct - which I think is correct, then why are we making these statements against the announcements made by the FM?
I feel we should wait for the revised pension tables to be issued before we condemn the announcement made by FM and draw any other conclusions.
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Dear Sir,
Rs. 9,545.00 PM is enough for the veterans up to the rank of Hav. who have got an increase of Rs. 700.00 to Rs. 800.00 PM only as a result of recommendation of Sixth Central Pay Commission after 10 years.
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BUDGET ANNOUNCEMENT ON ONE RANK ONE PENSION; IMPLICATIONS
(Analysed by Gen renjan, IESM)
A skilfully crafted statement by the Finance Minister Mr Pranab Mukherjee on the long standing demand of the Defence Forces for One Rank One Pension (OROP), while presenting the 2009-10 budget, has created a wholly erroneous impression that OROP has finally been granted by the Congress Govt. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, available information indicates that the issue of OROP has not been even remotely addressed.
By bringing pre 1996 pensioners at par with the post 1996 pensioners, the Finance Minister has only rectified a 13 years old anomaly, which should have been done long ago. Revised pensions announced after the VI CPC had created three distinct classes of pensioners; pre 1996 retirees, 01 Jan 1996 to 31 Dec 2005 retirees and post 01 Jan 2006 retirees. As a result, similar personnel in each class received widely differing pensions. Equity and natural justice demanded that these artificial distinctions should have been removed whenever pensions were revised; post V and VI CPCs. Further, in a litigation relating to equity between pre and post 1996 defence pensioners, even the Supreme Court had ruled in Sep 2008 that such distinctions violated Article 14 of our Constitution. In fact, one may argue that Mr Mukherjee’s reported magnanimity is guided more by the apex court judgement than any serious concern for the Defence Pensioners.
Importantly, the distinction between pre and post 2006 pensioners remains un-addressed. It needs reminding that the demand of the Defence Forces and Defence Pensioners for OROP was, in fact, ONLY for removal of this distinction. Such indifference of the Congress Govt for the Defence Forces and veterans is all the more galling, when viewed against the President’s statement, assuring early resolution of OROP, at the recent combined session of the Parliament. And, what is one to make of repeated statements of the MoD and the Raksha Mantri that the gap in pensions between the old and new pensioners will be substantially reduced and pensionery benefits of officers and jawans brought as close to OROP as possible?
P.S.
1. While total ESM are in the region of 23 lakhs, pre 1996 pensioners (PBOR only) would be around 12 lakh only. FM’s figure of 12 lakh affected PBOR is therefore right.
2. If one divided 2100 crore by 12 lakh, one gets 17500/- . Thereafter, if one divides 17500/- by 12 months, one will get the average monthly enhancement per PBO -approx 1450/- pm per head. This, if you will all recall, is the average difference between the pre and post 1996 pensions of PBOR.
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I believe that the officer cadre has so far been preaching it sacredly "The Welfare of the Subordinate comes first". But with this exercise it is pretty clear that either those persons, who are raising the storm, are not well wishers of PBORs or what ever they have been preaching so for was a mere lip-sympathy to win over the support of PBORs (96%) for their own benefits.
When the demand of change of Pay Band for the rank of Lt. Col. from III to IV was being raised, no one from PBORs raised any objection. At the same time when PBORs have been crying for a change of Pay Band from I to II for Havildars and equivalent and Pay Band II to III for Sub. Maj. and equivalent, no one who mattered in this task from the other cadre, lent their support to this cause. What a pity? Under such circumstances, whose mom the PBORs should address as aunt.
It may, please, be noted that One Rank One Pension demand will be fulfilled only when pre-2006 and post-2006 pensioners are equated which, so far, has not been promised explicitly by the govt. but is certainly on the anvil.
I, humbly and sincerely, appeal to those concerned to wait for notification and see how and what govt. gives to PBORs. If giving a few hundreds exclusively to the PBORs by the govt. harms the officer cadre, they are at liberty to do any thing they like and if it does not harm them, they should carry on the fight for ONE RANK ONE PENSION, of course, with the full support from PBORs because it will add some more coins to their kitty also.
Lastly, I apologize, in advance, if my words have offended any one of my Veteran Brother.
With due regards.
Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.
President.
Indian Ex-Services League, Punjab & Chandigarh .
(An independent body not aligned to IESL New Delhi)
Tele Fax. – 0175-5000896, Mob. 98554-09128.
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