COPY OF THE MEMORANDUM SUBMITED TO THE SUPREME COMMANDER ON 12.11.2011

A MEMORANDUM FROM THE EX-SERVICEMEN OF INDIA TO 

SRIMATI  PRATIBHA  DEVISINGH  PATIL,

HER EXCELLENCY, THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA

AND THE SUPREME COMMANDER OF THE ARMED FORCES

                                               

To                                                                                                        Dated:  12 Nov 2011

Shrimati Pratibha Devisingh Patil,

Her Excellency, the President of India

and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces

New Delhi – 110 011

 GOVT APATHY TOWARDS THEIR GENUINE DEMANDS, DEFENCE VETERANS,ONCE AGAIN SEEK JUSTICE FROM SUPREME COMMANDER

Your Excellency,

Jai Hind.

                                                                                   

1.   Despite appealing to your Excellency on eight occasions in the past over forty months, our demands have not been met by the Govt.  We are anguished at the way the Govt is treating the Defence Personnel.  To express our deep resentment for ignoring our genuine demands, we have already deposited over 22000 Gallantry and Distinguished Service medals and submitted memorandum signed in blood by over one lac and fifty thousand defence veterans to your Excellency.  We have written numerous letters and had meetings with Prime Minister, Raksha Mantri and other authorities but the Govt continues to ignore our main demand of “One Rank One Pension (OROP”.

2   It was extremely disturbing to know that the widows of the Defence Personnel were left out from the enhancement of pensions of Junior Commissioned Officers and jawans carried out through Govt notification dated 08^th Mar 2010. This harsh decision to exclude the most needy has caused great consternation among the entire Defence fraternity.  The case was taken up with the Prime Minister by the IESM for extending the enhancement of pension to the Defence Widows; the same has not been carried out so far.

3.   Out of the cases filed in various AFTs, over 90 percent in have been won by the Defence Personnel in the last one year, but Govt is yet to implement the judgements.  The recommendatory Armed Forces Greviances Redressal Communication (AFGRC) ordered by the Supreme Court which was to be affective with effect from 15 Jan 2011 has been dispensed with by the Govt.  The SC had passed this judgement after deliberating upon the illtreatement being meted out to the Defence Personnel by the Govt.

4.  A petition filed by independent MP of Rajaya Sabha Sh. Rajeeve Chandersekhar was being heard by the Petition Committee of the Rajaya Sabha.  The Govt is not mentioning any thing about the Committee while giving reply to the questions being raised by MPs regarding the non grant of OROP.  They continue to quote two years old Committee of Secretaries. 

5.  The Govt has not also paid any heed to the recommendations of All Party Standing Committee on Defence Comprising 31 MPs strongly recommending OROP three times in the last one year. The way the Govt treats the recommendation of the Parliamentary Committees and gives credence to the Report of Committee of secretaries who are biased  against the Defence Forces speak of the apathy of the Govt  has towards the Defence Forces.

6.   In view of the foregoing we appeal to your Excellency to get our genuine demands met from your Govt at the earliest.

With Regards,

Jai Hind  


Yours Sincerely,

            Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM

         Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement

            Mobile: 9312404269, 0124-41105709

            Email : satbirsm@yahoo.com

Copy to :-

Dr. Manmohan Singh,  
Hon’ble Prime Minister of India

152, South Block,

New Delhi -110011

Shri A.K. Antony                                                                             

Hon’ble Defence Minister

9, Krishna, Menon Marg

New Delhi