There was no seriousness about the welfare -every org even the companies have the welfare schemes linked to their Provident Funds, whereas we depend on the mercy of some one which is also now restricted to only war widows and disabled which is the full responsibility of the Govt of India being the employer. |
Re-employments are left to the States which only remain on paper, without any mechanism to check.
How many vacancies in a year - no body knows, whether it is commensurate with the number of retirees in a year and the re-habilitation left to none but fate.
There is yet another org called re-settlement. The jawans of the great Army are put on “Chowkidar” duties in front of offices, hotels, houses for a petty 1500 to a max of 5000 - without any other benefits and people taking commission out of it.
The benefit of pension of such person goes to the employers, if otherwise they have to pay salary like any other employee with other benefits like leave, pension, Provident Funds, ESI facilities etc-
Take the case of the biggest employers-BSNL, Air Ports, Customs etc and see the difference between their regular employees and the “Chowkidars” under the re-settlement scheme- one can only feel pity!!
No one has raised any voice on this policy issued by the newly created “Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare”. The service HQs felt very happy that this burden has gone from them.
So how can you blame that Dept now, for making a Pension Reg or any Regulation as they feel like? At least ca’nt it be challenged in the Court of Law?
Why is it not being done by the Army Chief who has filed a case for his own benefit, Does the HONOR OF THE ARMY lie on the honor of the Army Chief or on the Soldiers of the Army?
Where is the pride of the Army Chief when lot many ex-servicemen are in the street with a begging bowel after giving their youth to the Army? Is it not a matter of Right for them to have a Meaningful resettlement? Or the Right is only for the Army Chief to have his DOB corrected?
What I am trying to share with you all is that we are Not serious about what is happening to the Armed Forces Personnel as a whole - we are only self centered on petty issues. If it is a mistake on our part to accept it why put the blame on others.
What is the course of action to come out of these self created problems? Can these be solved by creating Mails or blogs?? It can only create awareness amongst the veterans but most of our problems were not ever made available to Media for public opinion. My humble suggestions are:-
1. Service HQs have to do some home work very seriously. The above points have come to light only when some of the Veterans have taken some trouble to study these cases and put in the mail, but the service HQs are silent or they have no such points at all.
2. Like any other department ,the Service HQs should take full responsibility to look after their Veterans, Widows, officers , JCOs and NCOs and their families who gave their blood and sweat to build Indian Army to the present shape from the scratches of Chinese aggression in 1962 and those who laid down their lives .
There is no point in blaming the Officers in MOD, for our inefficiency for that matter. It is for the Service HQs, how they Work out the strategy to accomplish this task. This is more important as there is no trade Union functioning in the org for collective bargaining of their service benefit which is available to all employees including the Central Govt.
3. Article 312 of the Constitution of India giving powers to Make Rules for Service benefit to Defense Services must be evoked by putting pressure on the Govt, the PM and the Supreme Commander. This has to be done by the Service HQs only because we are worst sufferers of all other Central Services.
If a pay or a service condition is to be changed /modified in respect of any Central Service, this has to be duly notified in the Gazette of India with the approval of the Govt/Parliament whereas it could be seen in the past that only an Army Instruction can meet the requirement in respect of the Armed Forces Personnel including the Service Chiefs. This has no backing of the Law of the Land.
In the early years after the Independence, the matters concerning Armed Forces Personnel were dealt separately at the level of PM or RM but later it has been brought under the purview of the pay commission - only erode their dignity and reduce them to the status of mere employees.
Well, then the Army Act also needs to be amended to include the liberty for collective bargaining for their service benefits which has not been done so far. The Service HQs should pursue this.
4. The Service HQs should create a high powered committee which will take up the matters concerning the personnel matters of Armed Forces Personnel with the RM, PM and The Supreme Commander.
They should take feed -back and suggestions and /complaints from all corners including the jawans direct. They should also interact regularly with other departments, companies, consultants, Ex-servicemen Associations, Veterans etc. and update themselves with the latest, for which a proper office with well experienced Officers and Staff from both veterans and outsiders is set up for functioning on regular basis.
It is not so difficult to set right the bureaucracy if the Service HQs have a will to firmly handle their Organizational interest, the interest of the Armed Forces Personnel and no compromise to be made at any point of time and at any level. This should be made clear to all down to the Pl commanders.
5. A MEANIGFUL re-settlement of all veterans should be the full responsibility of the Govt. The Service HQ should ensure this (A suggestion in this direction is enclosed )
6. All are requested to offer their valuable comments and they may also take up the matter with the service HQs individually or collectively.
7. May I request you to kindly forward this to at least 10 (Ten) veterans with your comments.
With Regards,
Major AK Dhanapalan, Veteran
Mob 092 49 87 53 42.
"...Payment of 100% pension to the Veterans up to the age of 60 years (age for superannuation for central Govt employees)..."
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, and it will have to be with retrospective effect for present pensioners AND in conjunction with OROP. I had tried to make a point on similar lines in a blog post .
We as veterans should be thankful to maj dhanapalan for educating us on the subject concerning all of us. Our joint efforts will definitely bring positive results.
ReplyDeleteYes Sir. Rightly put the things for vetearns. MOD and Service HQ are responsible for the we;fare of exservicemen, and DM & PM should monitor it. Otherwise like Pakistan we should have Military Dictatoership in INDIA also, then only the problems faced by veterans could be solved as suggested. Hope all concerned listen it is too late for them. Kudos. Jai Hind.
ReplyDeleteTukaram V Manerajurikar
Ex-SGT.IAF
the mod blunts the combat and thinking capacity of officers by giving subsidesed liquor then chemical laced rations by crooked contractors make the pot belled officer corp into chors. the army may require liquor in the mountians but inplains of hindustan it must be made to vanish from the canteens and so do cigrettes. the dept of exservicemaen must be manned by a serving 3 star officer with maj gen and euiqvalant ranks from three services to support wiyh staff. perhaps time has come to form officers and jco and lower rank unions in each formation to fight for poor living working standards
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