As informed by Inderjit Singh thru Pandi Sarpeshkar & CA Parthasarthi
Dear Friends
We are happy to inform you that we had a meeting with the RM on 19 Nov followed by a meeting with the RRM on 15 Dec.
A number of points were raised with the RM starting with two on OROP. I give you only the mails regarding the OROP to RM here, remaining you will find in my post on meeting with the RRM which will follow, as these were the same that we projected to RM.
The RM after listening to us advised that we briefed the RRM and the new Secretary ESM Deptt also.This was done on 15 Dec. In my meeting with the RRM the Secretary was also present.
The RM was handed over our letters one by one. While handing over the letter No 2 on OROP in which I had sought from him full parity with Sixth CPC rates, his kind attention was drawn to his own DO dated 19 Feb 2009 in which he had stated that he had already forwarded my request for necessary action. I then sought from him the fulfilment of his own promise.
Soon after I received the RM's DO saying that he was having the matter looked into. We replied that DO letter and have since received
his reply too. All these are listed below.
All the letters of RM referred in the mail are attached.
Regards
Inderjit Singh
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LETTER NO 1
I have had the privilege of reading about your views for moving step by step towards the ultimate goal for achieving OROP.
Back To Square One.
2. I humbly submit to you that we are the unfortunate ones who are taken to the final goal of OROP by the benevolent leadership , then rather than take the next steps for removing the infirmities in the orders, are brought back to square one by the Bureaucracy. This has happened not once but twice in the short span of 20 years.
One Time Increase Formula (OTI)
3. In 1991 the benign leadership appointed a High Level Empowered Committee headed by Sh Sharad Pawar, the then RM. The Committee improved our pensions through an OTI formula which brought us within Rs 10-44 of the latest rates of pension. They were willing to give OROP, but were restrained by the dire economic state of the Country, when we had to send our Gold to UK.
4. We were prepared to accept that formula if that was applied to all from Sep to General without exception and was made into a Pension Increase Format (PIF) for all times to come.
5. Instead of doing that we were brought on to the modified parity in 1996, by the Fifth CPC which gave us the minimum scale of each rank w.e.f 1996. A huge gap in pensions of old and new pensioner that was reduced by the OTI formula was again widened.
6. This is the first instance when we were taken to the ultimate goal by the leadership, but then the Bureaucracy pulled as back to square on.
Group of Ministers Award (25 Jan 2006)
7. Our efforts to seek full parity with the Fifth CPC continued. A GOM headed by the RM was appointed. This GOM seeing the logic of our legitimate demand of OROP brought us to the maximum rates of the Fifth CPC for PBORs, thereby setting a Precedence for giving full parity to the Armed Forces with the latest CPC rates while civilian remained at Modified parity.
8. We realized to our dismay that the Sixth CPC while working out their award had deliberately ignored that fact of full parity with Fifth CPC rates for Armed Forces.
9. While making our Presentation to the Sixth CPC we apprised them of this fact of Armed Forces having been granted full parity with CPC rates and requested them to maintain the precedence.
10. The CPC ignored our submission for full parity and brought us back to modified parity with many lacunas that denied us even that, besides lowering our status vis-à-vis civilian counterparts.
11. This was the second time when they pulled us back from the final position.
12. I humbly submit that your very noble intentions will never be allowed to materialize if the Bureaucracy is allowed time to work out their scuttling games.
13. We therefore request you to grant us OROP in one go as we had crossed all the stages twice.
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LETTER NO2
The NDA Govt rejected our demand of OROP with contempt in 2002. Then in 2004, elections were held and to our good luck UPA Govt led by the Congress Party came to power.
2. As always the UPA Govt took a very positive and sympathetic view of our demand of OROP and through a GOM on 25. Jan 2006 gave us full parity with Fifth CPC rates. In other words OROP with Fifth CPC rates and there by set a precedence for all times, to give the Armed Forces full parity with CPC rates in future, while civilians remained at modified parity.
3. The Sixth CPC award was announced. They rather than carry forward this precedence brought us back to less than modified parity and also reduced the status of officers vis a vis their civilian counterparts.
4. We came with our appeal to you for full parity with Sixth CPC. On 21 Feb 2009 vide your DO letter No/ 062.VIP/2009 you were kind to inform me that you had forwarded my letter for necessary action for full parity with Sixth CPC rates (copy attached). We were delighted to receive your kind letter and hoped that this problem would finally be solved.
5. Then unfortunately some veteran organizations with the help of opposition parties got onto indulging in unacceptable activities merely to embarrass the Govt. The opposition which rejected OROP when in power was trying to pose as the messiahs of this cause. The Govt to deny the credit to the opposition for what they were doing themselves, took a stand which ultimately is resulting in sufferings for the veterans.
6. Every pronouncement of yours is indicative of the fact that as always the Congress Govt wants to do it and sooner the better. The only problem is that of timing of the announcement, so that the opposition does not run away with the credit for this gesture.
7. I offer a solution to this problem. The following are relevant occasions when Indiraji and Rajivji promised OROP, that could be used for effectively denying the credit to anybody other than the Congress Party.
a) 22 Feb 1982. First time ever OROP problem submitted by us to the Prime Minister Smt Indiraji. She was busy with an International Conference so deputed Sh Rajivji to take the memorandum on her behalf at our Rally. While accepting the Memorandum he promised to have it done for us.
b) 25 Jun 1983. We held a rally at Smt Indiraji’s residence where she promised to give OROP to us in one go if possible and in phases if necessary.
c) 13 Mar 1987. The seventeenth day of my indefinite fast. It was broken on the personal assurance of Sh Rajivji the PM that he would give us if the fast was broken.
8. These are very relevant dates. We can pick any of these dates next year when a Rally could be organized by us for celebrating the Anniversary of the promises given to us and where the leadership can announce the grant of OROP to honor those promises.
9. We assure you that it would be the greatest Rally of Veterans.
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REPLY OF RM DATED 25 NOV
I am in receipt of your letter along with its enclosures regarding grant of ‘ One Rank One Pension’ to the Armed Forces.
I am having the matter looked into.
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REPLY TO RM BY CHAIRMAN DATED 15 DEC
We were delighted to receive your kind DO letter No 5295/VIP/RM/2011 Dated 25 November 2011 and to know that you are having the matter with regard to OROP looked into.
2. While we are happy for your kind initiative, we are not sure that the results as far as the bureaucracy is concerned will be any thing different from what has been happening in the past 30 years of my involvement in the affairs of the Veterans.
Bureaucratic Scuttling Games
3. We have submitted to you our problem. You with all the concern for us, the soldiers, have very kindly directed the bureaucracy to look into it. They rather than examine the problem objectively and with the intention of finding ways to ensure that the leadership can fulfill their promises to the soldiers, would resort to suppression of information, to start with, to mislead the leadership. If that does not work then they would take refuge of misinformation. If that also does not work then they would not stint at even speaking blatant lies to ensure that it was not granted. If every thing fails, their final trump card to scare the leadership into submission to their line of thinking is by saying that "if the Armed Forces are given their rightful dues they will take over the reins of the Nation itself".
4. To support their vile designs they will quote all the REJECTION CERTIFICATES they obtain from their bureaucrat friends and colleagues whom they themselves appoint for achieving their missions. The more powerful the committee the more forceful their REJECTION CERTIFICATE. The latest one is the Cabinet Secretary's CERTIFICATE they have in hand to flaunt to put off the leadership and prevent them from doing their NATIONAL duty towards this hapless community of soldiers. No where would there be a mention of numerous Committees like Estimates Committee of the Parliament, High Level and High Level Empowered Committees comprising all Party Members and representatives of Veterans set up by the Govt. and also the all Party Parliamentary Committees which have recommended it in the strongest possible words. Obviously they feel that the leadership is foolish and irresponsible not to be taken seriously. The saddest part is that they have been allowed to get away with this assumption.
I have given you enough data to support my affirmations above.
Despondency and Despair
5. With this kind of attitude of the bureaucracy what can we hope for? Look what they have done with the Sixth CPC. award. They have destroyed all systems of working out our entitlements. A problem that will take years to correct if at all it is possible. The most heinous crime they have committed is renaming RANK PAY as GRADE PAY so that they could manipulate it for themselves too. We pride in our ranks. If the ranks are eliminated what do we fight for.? Under these circumstances what can we possibly expect? Another round of optimism followed by disappointment, despondency and despair?
6. Do we believe that the leadership is not satisfied with the sacrifices we have already made for the Nation? Do we believe that our loyalties are under your scanners even after all the sacrifices we make for the Nation happily and as a matter of pride. Is this the reason why you do not want us to be any where near the decision making levels in the Ministry? The most disappointing is the fact that the Deptt of Ex servicemen Affairs has also been handed over to the bureaucracy. Soniajis great gesture to raise this Department to have our affairs tackled properly has been effectively neutralized by this act.
7. If all this is true and therefore the reason for denial of our rightful dues, we are ready to make a few more sacrifices to win your hearts over. I assure you that I would lead the group for making supreme sacrifice for this noble cause if that is what our leadership wants before granting us our rightful dues? I undertook this mission once earlier in 1987 and I have no hesitation to undertake it once again if that is what is necessary.. My indefinite fast was broken on the seventeenth day due to the personal intervention of Rajivji with the promise of granting us OROP. It is unfortunate that the destiny took him away before he could fulfill his promise.
8. Please for the sake of our Nation if not for us, do not reject our submissions on the basis of the blatant lies of the bureaucrats.
Our Services at Your Beck and Call
9. Kindly form your opinions keeping in view the sacrifices we make. In case the bureaucrats this time also come out with their cleverly crafted arguments and mislead you into rejecting our OROP proposal, before rejecting it, please be kind to summon me so that i can come and lay bare the truth about what they submit to you. Can we at least expect this gesture from you, if nothing else?
Congress Party that cares for Veterans
10. We have been putting across these problems to the benign leadership of Governments of every Party that took up the reins at the Center. The only Party that took up effective measures to solve our problems was the Congress Party Govt. Other parties firstly did not understand the problems and when we made them aware of the gravity of the situation, they just flattered to deceive.
11. We have no doubt that it is again the Congress Govt which will provide relief about our one single most important problem of OROP by taking the matter in their own hands. It is said that every thing has its time to materialize. The time has come for OROP to be granted. If so why not sooner than later and if it has to happen why not by the leadership of the Party which had earned the sobriquet of being the Party which understood the problems of Veterans and took effective measures to solve these.
We are certain that the leadership will not fail us this time.
Conclusion
12. For this all important announcement we can hold a huge Rally wherever you like where this could be announced by Soniaji herself. It could be announced as the fulfillment of a long standing promise by our great leaders Indiraji and Rajivji given to our Association on the Anniversary of any of the occasions when they promised. The relevant dates are as follows:-
a) 22 Feb 1982. Rajivji received our Memorandum on behalf of Indiraji and promised that he would see that it was granted
b) 25 Jun 1983. Indiraji addressed our Rally in her honor and promised that she would do it in one go if rains were alright that year, otherwise she would give it in Phases.
c) 13 Mar1987. My indefinite fast was broken when Rajiivji promised that he would grant this. The destiny snatched him before he could do it.
13. Look forward to an early resolution of this problem.
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THE REPLY OF THE RM DATED 19 DEC
I am in receipt of your letter dated 15th December, 2011 regarding alleviation of grievances of ex-servicemen.
I am having the matter looked into.
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