Dear
Veterans, Dated:
27 Nov 2012
Letter
to all MPs regarding “Neglect of Armed Forces” dated 27 Nov
2012 is enclosed herewith for your information and wide circulation please.
With Warm
Regards,
Yours
Sincerely,
Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh,SM
Vice Chairman Indian Ex Servicemen Movement
NEGLECT OF ARMED FORCES
Dated: 27
Nov 2012
Dear Members of Parliament,
1. On
22 Nov 2012, Arvind Kejriwal of IAC highlighted the plight of NSG Commando
Surender Singh who was boarded out due to being medically disabled because
of injuries sustained on 26/11 during Terrorist Attack in Bombay.
2. We
wish to bring to the notice of our elected representative and through you all
to the Nation’s, the plight of lakhs of soldiers and their families and
widows. All our missives to the President, PM, RM, and UPA Chairperson
for the last five years have evoked no response whatsoever. Even Supreme Court
Judgements are being flouted and ignored with impunity. The MoD, instead
of looking after the affairs military, in just and fair manner, is putting all
blocks to thwart the most legitimate demands of defence forces. Govt
actions relating to veterans affairs indicate an institutional indifference and
perhaps wilful design that is both alarming and demotivating. Consider
the following:-
a. The
ridiculous situation wherein a Major General draws a pension lower
than that of a Lieutenant Colonel- three ranks lower in the
hierarchy.
b. A
Havildar drawing a pension less than that of a Sepoy, which is a much junior
rank?
c. A
Lieutenant General drawing almost the same pension as a Colonel or a Brigadier,
ranks that are junior.
d. While
all Central Govt employees have been given three Assured Career Progressions by
the 6th CPC, the same has beendenied to the
“Sepoy” who is compulsorily retired after 15 – 17 years of service and the
Assured Career progressions to Defence personnel are authorized after 8, 16, 24
years of service. Is it not Gross injustice that a Sepoy is not
granted the financial benefit of 3rd Career Progression before
retirement to enable him to get the pension accordingly?
e. Non-inclusion
of Defence Services in even benefits like Non Functional Upgrades (NFU), made
applicable to all other Government services EXCEPT Defence Services.
f. Widows
of Defence personnel are invariably left out of accretions in Pensions
announced for JCO/OR.
g. An
amazing 39 serious anomalies have arisen in the implementation of even the 6th Central
Pay Commission, causing grave injustice to the Defence Personnel in their
status and thus inter-se equation with other Central Services, pay and
pensions.
h. Non
implementation of the ‘Rank Pay’ awarded holistically by the Fourth Pay
Commission, despite a recent court order.
i. Periodically
falsely claiming grants and benefits to Defence Veterans, without them being
granted. For example, a recent announcement of an increase in the pensions of
defnece forces is being claimed by the Govt to be a grant of One Rank One
Pension (OROP), whereas, in actual fact, it is a partial eradication of
deliberate mistake in implementation of 6th CPC award.
j. Contesting
all judicial orders / rulings favoring Defence Veterans.
k. Non-inclusion
of Uniformed fraternity even in committees set up over matters directly
affecting them.
3. It
seems the country does not respect the sacrifices made by a soldier who lays
down his life for the country. There is no respect for those in uniform
who would not think twice before making the supreme sacrifice. This is a
very unfortunate state of affairs. The government is bluffing the country
and the unsuspecting soldiers. The Ex servicemen across the
country feel neglected, their legitimate demands ignored.
4. The
political system has been depriving the serving defene personnel to vote at the
place of posting which is their constitutional right as per the Peoples
Representation Act. The system of postal ballot and proxy voting which
were meant for personnel posted abroad, has been thrusted on the defence
personnel within the country. Both these options have not worked
thus denying the right to vote to soldiers. The defence locations
within the country are part of a constituency, thus the defence personnel posted
within in the country are to be registered as voters as ordinary residents of
that constituency. During the last assembly election in Uttrakhand, over
one lac soldiers could not cast their votes due to the faulty system of Postal
Ballot. There are over 60 big cantonments and over 250 military
stations in the country where defence personnel have the strength to influence
the electoral process.
5. We
appeal to our members of parliament, to jointly take up the above issues with
the Govt for their immediate redressal. Shortage of 14000 officers,
upward trend in cases of indiscipline, over 115 defence personnel committing
suicides every year for the past 10 years, inadequacies in our defence
preparedness are adversely affecting the security of the Nation. Our
country can ill afford to allow such situation to continue any further.
6. May
we request you for your immediate indulgence? If need be, discuss and
debate these issues through call attention motion or under any other
parliamentary procedure. The time is running out.
Jai Hind!!
With Warm
Regards,
Yours
Sincerely,
Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh,SM
Vice Chairman Indian Ex Servicemen Movement
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