Dear Colleagues,
I had a meeting with the Defence Minister today.
The gist of points discussed follows. These were also handed over in the form
of a written note.
1. OROP Vs Sanction of Rs 2300 Cr for Pension Enhancement.
While stressing the fact that OROP has still not been given as such, and that
for officers it is merely a correction of an anomaly, I thanked him for his
support in getting the pension enhancement for which the government has
sanctioned the amount. Notably, this is the second pension enhancement during
the tenure of the present Defence Minister. He confirmed that he has already
cleared the file and the case is in progress with the DOPT and efforts are being
made to clear it soon.
2. Rank Pay. The Minister confirmed that the case is being
pushed through to release the arrears at the earliest.
3. Family Pension Enhancement. We had been pushing this case
for long and I expressed gratitude for his intervention in seeing it through.
He remarked that he has told all in the Ministry that the credit for this goes
entirely to me for my dogged pursuit of the issue. (It may be known that we had
taken some widows to his office that made personal appeals; later in a social
gathering last month he light-heartedly commented that I had brought families
to his office and ‘gheraoed’ him). Thanking him I pointed out that I may be the
visible face but it is the IESM that deserves credit for spearheading the case
of family pension.
4. Family Pension for Widows of Sepoys. While on family pension
I pointed out that as learnt the families of all widows of Naiks to Maj Gen
were going to get enhancement. However, the widows of Sepoys are being denied
the same. I mentioned my apprehension that since no one is retiring as a Sepoy
after 1.1.2006, the Cabinet Secretary’s Committee may not have realised the
omission. He promised to have the issue looked into.
5. OROP. The minister has been often saying that they cannot
sanction OROP in one go but they will keep bridging the gap between old and new
pensioners gradually. I asked him if there was any timeline when the final
plank on this bridge would be put. There was no firm reply.
6. Court Cases. I underscored the point that many veterans
have been compelled to seek and obtain redress through the courts. A strong
feeling therefore is gaining ground where the veterans are having more faith in
the courts vis-à-vis the govt, which is not a happy development. While
acknowledging the point he also said happily the number of court cases is
coming down.
7. ECHS. In view of the inordinate delay in clearance of bills
some good hospitals are shying away from getting empanelled. There are reports
of some hospitals inflating the bills. The MoD, therefore, rightly insists on
scrutinizing the bills before clearing payment. On the other hand the hospitals
complain that the Ministry is using this as a pretext to delay payment,
including in some cases demanding a ‘cut’. In all this the veteran suffers.
While some inflation of bills must inevitably be happening, its extent could
not exceed 15-20% at a maximum. To ensure that the scheme does not suffer from
default, it is suggested that 50% of the billed amount must be cleared
immediately under the powers of the MD ECHS. Any over-billing then can be
adjusted in the remaining 50% of the claimed amount. The minister agreed to
have the proposal examined on file.
8. Veterans’ Course of Action. I emphasized that in view of
OROP not having been sanctioned, we will continue with our struggle.
Wishing all veterans and their
families a very happy Diwali.
Best regards,
Lt Gen Raj Kadyan
Comments
Dear Gen Kadyan
Please do not get carried away
by Antony's sweet words. I cannot think of a bigger fraud than him. He has run
away to Delhi after cheating the people here on his promise, as the CM, on
self financing professional colleges!
regards
ravi
You are right Col Ravindran....
But do not attach any significance to the contents
of the message. This is an exercise, just for
the fulfillment of the General's own MEGALOMANIA!
More accurate and detailed information could have
been obtained by sending a Subedar Sahib to have tea with a CGO or an Under
Secretary of the MoD.
Conveying the threat to the RM that the IESM will
launch an agitation if OROP is not granted, brings back to me the memory of an
incident, of yester-years.
In the then OPS COMMAND, of the IAF at Palam, the
Station Routine Order of a day carried an entry......" All Air Force
Personnel will wear helmets when driving two-wheelers. Defaulters will be
punished severely"
The AOC-IN-C at that time, Air Vice Marshal PC LAL saw the entry;
drew a circle around the entry in BOLD, using his red ink pen, with
the following comments.... and sent it back to the SOA.
"PLEASE DO NOT THREATEN ANY ONE. TAKE ACTION"
Same is applicable in the instant case. We have
given this threat any number of times to the RM, even to Ms Sonia G, and the
Prime Minister, the President of India, our Supreme Commander ....or for
that matter to whosoever would listen to us!
Where is the need to waste words.....Act if you can?
Wish for God Speed
KP.....
Gp Capt KP Sharma
So true, Gp Capt Sharma!
Words....words.....and more words.......
.......the case is "in progress" with the
DOPT......"efforts are being made"........ the case "is
being pushed through" .....promised to have the issue
"looked into"......the gap between old and new pensioners "gradually".....There was
"no firm reply". .... agreed to have "the proposal
examined" on file .....
........and lastly, your exalted Honour...... in view of OROP not
having been sanctioned, we will continue with our struggle.....for
the next 30-40 years, and even beyond, if necessary......... Amen, and copy to
all concerned!
With due apologies to all for their efforts being made....and, I do not
think there is any 'megalomania' involved seeing the results, however
feeble, coming up, I feel we are being taken for a ride, and we shall
continue to go for the ride till the time we complement our words with
some ACTION....but, can we? Will we? Alas, WHEN?
Cheers, all round, till then!
RBM
Colonel Ronnie Burjor Mistry
ronniem40@gmail.com
What about NFU for serving Offr?
ReplyDeleteIssues such as parities with pensions of post AVS-I Colonels, for Maj/Lt Col retirees with more than 26 years of service, continue to be on the back-burner and need to be highlighted in future proposals and discussions.
ReplyDeleteI like the promises that Lt Gen (emeritus) Raj Kadyan makes. They sound so much like the politicians make - all hot air, ego and "I" complex.
ReplyDeleteWhy doesn't he take a lesson from RDOA - just keep pegging away and soon you will have a decision in your favour.
Would Lt Col Sharma have the time to give a few lessons in humility to the Lt Gen (oh! he has dropped the emeritus)?