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Thursday, April 28, 2011

Exemption from NHAI Toll Tax--Letter just received from MOD

Exemption from NHAI Toll Tax
Letter from MOD

Click to Enlarge
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by Vijay Mayadev
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Much has been discussed on this site regarding the toll tax exemption to ESMs. Either the letters are interpreted to cast doubts on our entitlement or letters are trashed as fraud. I find it very difficult to accept that fraud letters that give privileges such as tax exemption to Servicemen would go without the entire burocracy and media pouncing on them at the first opportunity.
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It appears that some of us are trying to shoot ourselves in the foot just to prove a point, completely unmindful that they may be compromising the interest of ESMs that we aught to be striving to protect in the first place. Be that as it may.
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To my mind such episodes call for a different approach to grant of indirect privileges to ESMs or denials thereof by veterans in general and their organizations such as IESM in particular.
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The authorities that be/and their babus try to divide us by creating classes; war decorated, war wounded, war disabled, combatants/non combatants, general officers, officers- selection grade/time scale, JCOs, PBORs and what have you.
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Thankfully martial and non martial races have gone with the Brits.
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Then they limit the privileges by giving it to a particular class as suits their requirement/fancy with confidence that other classes of servicemen would do nothing to oppose such a move to divide them. This is where we slip up. We must demand that Indirect privileges such as exemptions from taxes etc aught to be given to all servicemen alike and continued post retirement as is the case with CSD etc. Otherwise disservice is being done to all uniformed men and women who selflessly put their lives on the line in discharge of their duty but do not have anything to show for it such as a gong or disability.
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If we ourselves do not believe that all of us contribute to the war effort and should be treated as one class who else will?
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If you follow the post independence actions of mai baap sarkar no doubts would be left in your minds.
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In 1947/62/65/71 all servicemen on the battlefront faced bullets, however only a few were decorated; how many then knew that their pension would be income tax free, they would get lands/grants, free railway passages etc if they were awarded.
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Imagine going to war when comrades in arms are looking for a gallantry award and all that goes with it. Perhaps frauds to obtain gallantry awards were spawned out of this mentality and have brought avoidable disrepute to the Services.
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When a fighting unit goes to battle all are expected to work as a team to achieve the mission objective. Some fall in battle, many get wounded, some get disabled, and some hoist the flag without getting a scratch. Could the ones who reached the objective without getting a bullet ever done so if the enemy fire had not been diverted to those who were hit? Without doubt the outcome of the battle depends on collective efforts of all that go into battle.
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Gallantry awards are recommended after the dust settles down and depend on various factors including luck and being at the right place at the right time, especially in view of the short duration limited wars of the day. Suffice it to say that, Whereas some brave ones get recognition many equally if not more brave fall in the also ran category.
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How is a guy who got wounded but not disabled different from one who is wounded and disabled, while the battle is raging. Disability manifests itself later and without doubt a disabled soldier needs extra care and facilities. A bullet fired in battle can kill, wound or miss for reason known only to itself.
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There are specific issues to be addressed when a soldier is killed, wounded or ready to fight another day. No doubt that issues like looking after war widows/bereaved parents, disability pension etc need to be addressed squarely, But all those who take on the enemy are part of the same effort and need to be treated equally as far as common privileges are concerned.
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How fair is it then to expect all servicemen to fight wars together but divide them in categories and extend privileges to a few while denying a majority and worst still cut even those after retirement?
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If we don't see through this divide and deny policy who will? If our organizations such as Service HQs and the likes of IESM don't take it up who will?
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Toll Tax exemption is but a tip of the iceburg.
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regards
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Vijay Mayadev

11 comments:

  1. Dear Col LK Anand, Retd.

    Pen is mightier than sword! If our veteran keeps writing such good article and re-iterate the soldier the day of dream is not so far.


    Thanks and regards.

    Babu

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sir, Kindly up load such letter for exemption of toll tax for ESM

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am govt employee and daily going to office through road toll tax and tell me m work do of govt... should i daily pay the road tax even i am the govt employee

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  4. i have my id card of govt employee in deputy commissioner office n why i daily pay the road tax

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sir, I am ESM going to Karad from pune with my family through my Taxi permit vehicle (xylo) why paid toll tax being Ex -service man ? and this is facility by Govt and how to deemed ? This is very shameful to very ESM ( Normally every time I was paid toll tax when hired by some one) No any action from Govt authorities yet. kindly do needful, thanks

    ReplyDelete
  6. MYSELF, ESM AND DISABLED DUELY INVALIDED OUT OF ARMY SERVICE IN SEPT 1978 .IN JUN 2012 WHEN I WAS TRAVELLING FROM ROPAR TO CHANDIGARH , AT SOLKHIAN NEAR ROPAR TOLL PLAZA OF N H ROAD I SHOW MY EXSERVICEMAN IDENTITY CARD AND ALSO ZEROX COPY OF JAGBANI NeWSPAPER DATED 20 NOV 2011 IN WHICH EXSERVICEMEN HAS BEEN EXEMPTED FROM TOLL TAX BY PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT AS STATED BY COL. DHARM SINGH PRESIDENT RASHTRIYA RAKSHA DAL PUNJAB . BUT TOLL PLAZA STAFF DENIED TO ACCEPT THE SAME.KINDLY EXPLAIN IN DETAIL IF THIS IS VALID.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sir,

    Kindly post the reference of NHAI (enclosure as mentioned in the last line of the MOD letter above.

    I am an ESM and while travelling to Hyderabad, while showing my ID Card, have shown the above MOD letter to the Toll plaza official who happened to be an ESM. But he politely refused saying that MOD letter is no authority and NHAI letter is required for claiming exemption.

    Kindly display the NHAI Reference on your blog above.

    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sir,

    I'm heading a toll plaza, I need your kind particularly about the exemption of in service, ESMs, their friends & relatives, travelling and showing their ID card, canteen card, and others and not in uniform in detail. It would be a great help for their exemption and for my knowledge.

    Regards,

    Subrat Das
    9007768806

    ReplyDelete
  9. While the retired Assistance Commissioner of Central Excise and Customs is exempted from paying Toll Plaza Tax on production of their ID card, Why ex-service personnel are not provided with same privilege?

    Our IESM association must put in all effort to get the toll plaza exemption for our ex-service personnel.

    Ex-JWO Edward Michael

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  10. The govt should take serious steps to exempt all d ESM no matter how many year of service he or she has put in.

    ReplyDelete
  11. plz provide letter for exemption of toll tax for state police personl.

    ReplyDelete