PRESS
INFORMATION BUREAU, GOVT. OF INDIA
Ministry of Defence, 24 Sep
2012
Rs.2300 crore approved to meet
the demands of
Ex-servicemen pensioners
The Union Cabinet has approved the recommendations of the
Committee headed by Cabinet Secretary for benefits to Ex-Servicemen on four
issues. The financial implications of the improvements made as per the Cabinet
decision on the four items are broadly estimated at Rs.2300 crore per
annum. The details are as follows:
1. One Rank One Pension
On One
Rank One Pension, the demand of the Defence Forces and Ex-Servicemen
Associations is that uniform pension be paid to the Defence Forces personnel
retiring in the same rank with the same length of service irrespective of their
date of retirement and any future enhancement in the rates of pension be
automatically passed on to the past pensioners.
The
difference in the pension of present and past pensioners in the same rank
occurs on account of the number of increments earned by the defence personnel
in that rank. There is also a difference between the pension of pre
1.1.06 and post 1.1.06 retirees belonging to a particular rank. The UPA
Government on two previous occasions has taken decisions to narrow the gap
between the present and past pensioners, particularly those belonging to the
ranks of JCOs and Other Ranks.
On the
issue of One Rank One Pension, the following have been approved by the Cabinet:
(i) Bridging of the gap in the pension of
pre 1.1.06 and post 1.1.06 JCO/OR retirees by determining the pension of pre
1.1.06 retirees on the basis of notional maximum for ranks and groups across
the three Services as in the case of post 1.1.06 retirees. In addition, the
weightage of qualifying service in the ranks of Sepoys, Naik and Havaldar would
be increased by two years for both pre and post 1.1.06 retirees.
(ii) The pension of pre 1.1.06 Commissioned
Officer pensioners would be stepped up with reference to the minimum of fitment
table for the ranks instead of the minimum of pay band.
These are expected to largely meet the demands of the Defence
pensioners on one rank one pension.
II. Enhancement of Family Pension:
(i) The pension of pre - 1.1.2006 family
pensioners (Commissioned Officers, Honorary Commissioned Officers, JCOs/ORs )
be stepped up based on the minimum of the fitment table instead of the minimum
of the Pay Band;
(ii) Establishing linkage of the family
pension with the pension of JCOs/ORs, in those cases where the death takes
place after the retirement of the JCO/OR since such a JCO/OR drew a pension
based on the maximum of the pay scales, 60% of the pension applicable to JCO/OR
pensioners would be granted to the family pensioner in case of normal family
pension calculated a 30% of last pay drawn. Accordingly, based on the rank,
group and length of service of the deceased JCO/OR pensioner, his pension would
first be determined on notional basis. In cases where death of JCO/OR took
place after retirement, the family pensioners in receipt of normal family
pension would become entitled to 60% of the said pension determined on notional
basis and those in receipt of enhanced family pension will be entitled to 100%
of this pension. Similar entitlements would be determined in the case of
Special Family Pension; and,
(iii) The family pensioner of the JCO/OR
would be granted pension arrived at on the basis of the family pension worked
out as per the formulation at (i) above or the pension on the basis of stepping
up with reference to the minimum of the fitment table, whichever is beneficial.
Further, the linkage of family pension with retiring pension be applied in the
case of post 1.1.2006 family pensioners of JCOs/ORs also.
III. Dual Family Pension:
Dual family pension would be allowed in the present and future
cases where the pensioner drew, is drawing or may draw pension for military
service as well as for civil employment.
IV. Family pension to mentally / physically
challenged children of armed forces personnel on marriage:
Grant of family pension to mentally/physically challenged children
who drew, are drawing or may draw family pension would continue even after
their marriage.
The above recommendations made by the Committee on pension issues
of Ex-Servicemen may be implemented from a prospective date and payment made accordingly.
***
SH/SKS
(Release ID:87954)
Some more comments on the Government’s misleading
announcement of OROP.
As expected, the OROP story turned out to be a GOI
joke. Not for the first time, has GOI spread canards, to slow down the Veteran
momentum of demands, and package implementation of court orders to pass off as
OROP. So that the citizenry can wonder 'Ab aur kya Chahiye Fajiyon ko?'.
Sad state of affairs when your own establishment
treats you, as though you belonged to the other side of the border.
Read below for what the Rs 2300 crore is all about.
Its just removal of an anomaly that was created by babudom, to a sanction by
the Sixth Pay Commission.
Ranks are a peculiar feature of Services. While
time bound increase in salary are a part of the Civil lexicon. The sixth pay
commission grouped MANY ranks into bands. Pay Band 4 for instance includes
ranks from Lt Col to Maj Gen. Pension was to be fixed at Bottom of the
individual's pay IN the pay band (ie minimum of pay of rank), which was changed
to of the pay band in implementing instructions (Meaning Minimum OF the pay
band, ie Pay Band 4 in example above), at MOD. As a consequence, all persons in
PB 4 started getting same pension corresponding to the Bottom of the Pay Band
4. This was contested in court and a verdict given in favour of the pensioners.
The current hullaballoo is over this being implemented. It is not OROP. Nor
even Modified Parity.
Its sadly usual for Government to do such
manipulations to grants by the Pay commissions, to the disadvantage of faujis.
Rank Pay is a case in point, which was granted by 4th Pay Commission-1986, was
tinkered by babus. Now this. In between, it would be recalled that
implementation of court ruling in the case of Pre 96 Veterans, was announced as
OROP, during 2009, and not implemented for one whole year till the PM wrongly
announced in 2010 that it had been paid out. Held for mis-stating facts, this
was then implemented within three days!!
And all the time the effort is to call it OROP
granted, to confuse everyone. Perhaps slow down the momentum for Veteran
demands. Playing games with faujis all the time can't be an accidental
coincidence. It has to be a Design. Which is extremely mean on part of Babudom.
Demotivating for the Military, it makes Defence Services a Low Priority career
choice, and weakens the fabric of our national security.
With Warm Regards,
Col RP Chaturvedi,
Dear Editor of Economic Times,
I would like to bring to your notice of a
misleading Headlines in ET dated 25 Sep 2012. The Government Press Note, of Course, has mislead thousands of
Ex-servicemen on granting of OROP.
6th Pay Commission had recommended a Pension
Formula for Pre-2006 Defence Retirees. Further, the Commission had recommended
that Pre 2006 retirees should at least get a minimum pension that is half of
lowest end of the revised Pay scale/fitment scale granted to serving personnel of
equivalent rank. But the Bureaucrats in implementing this recommendation
wrongly interpreted that the Retirees would get half of the minimum of PAY Band where
their rank along with other ranks figured. This simple anomaly was pointed out
by pre-2006 retirees to the Government but the Bureaucrats did not take any
corrective action. This forced the Ex-servicemen of rank Major to approach
Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) for directions to Govt. AFT accepted their plea as
genuine and asked Government to take immediate remedial action.
Meanwhile a group of Civilian officers also
approached Civilian Administrative Tribunal (CAT) for corrective action in
lines of AFT Judgement. This was upheld by CAT and necessary directions were
issued.
The Secretaries Committee ordered by PM used this
opportunity to show that they were making efforts to "bridge" the gap
between pensions of Post 2006 pensioners and Pre-2006 pensioners holding same
rank and years of service . If the first step in a 100 meters sprint is
considered as a major step to bridge the distance between start to the final
destination, then Govt can take credit. But Govt cannot surely take any credit
for the bogus claim "One Rank One Pension Okayed" as prominently
published by your Political Bureau in the second page of ET. I am afraid that
your correspondent has been taken for a "ride" just like thousands of
Ex-servicemen taken for a "ride" yesterday based on the announcement
of PM on Aug 15 on OROP.
A Major lesson from this episode is obvious. Why Bureaucrats oppose inclusion
of Serving Defence Personnel or even Ex-servicemen in high power study teams on
their demands is because the members from the Services would have prevented the
Bureaucrats taking them as well general public (including Media) on
"ride" like they did every time a Study team submitted its
recommendations that were then approved by Political Bosses without even
consulting the affected personnel.
S.Murugan.
Air Cmde (Retd)
Air Cmde (Retd)
It is all eye wash.
ReplyDeleteLet us not accept it.
A Lt Col is already getting Rs 25700/- basic pension per month, now as per the new terminology used by MOD ie minimum of fitment table means Rs 26265/- basic pension per month. The increase is just Rs 565/-. Is it OROP, does it fit in the definition of OROP. Let the bureaucrats keep this money with them for their pan expenses, we don't need. it.
OROP as defined by them is equal rank, equal service, equal pay. But this minimum fitment table which has been brought by the MOD does not ensure that officers and men of equal rank, equal service do get equal pay/pension. More mover, a Lt col with 38 years of colour service and a Lt Col with 26 years colour service are getting same pension today. Even two officers of same rank (Lt Col) retired prior to 01 Jan 2006 with physical service of 13 years as officer and 38 years both are getting same basic pension of Rs 25700/-. Where is OROP, What is OROP as per the illiterate bureaucrat and politicians. People who have got more service over the others in the same rank are neglected.
The only alternative is going to the legal recourse of action as the MOD never understands as to what is right.They are adamant of their thoughts and behaviours.
Apathetic Government of India
ReplyDeleteReports in the Media over past two days falsely convey the impression that a lot has been done by the GOI to ameliorate the injustice done to Defence Veterans.
Nothing can be further from truth.
The current announcement is JUST an act of removal of an anomaly created by a Bureaucratic sleight of pen, to deprive us of dues granted by the Sixth Pay Commission. On a petition against this mischief, the Military Tribunal had ruled that the pension be calculated at 50% of the minimum pay of the rank/ grade held, against the mischievous anomaly created by making it read as 'minimum of Pay Band'. Incidentally the Civil Tribunal has also ruled similarly and hence the change would also apply to civil employees, despite the hullaballooo created to convey that a 'generous dole' has been given to Faujis alone.
Even this does not comply fully with the Legal dispensation. Both Tribunals had rightly decided that the correction be affected from 1 Jan 2006, and that 6% interest also be paid to affected personnel for having withheld their rightful dues. This is absent in the announcement of the 'Generous Dole'.
The so called 'burden' of Rs 2300 crores to the Government is actually part of the 'Debt' that the Government owes its Veterans.
Any way you look at it, it is certainly not the 'Third increase of Pension for Faujis since the Pay commission'. Removal of anomalies in implementing instructions, does not constitute increase of pension. You may be shocked that many anomalies even of past pay commissions remain unresolved, still under 'consideration' after years !
With Warm Regards,
Col RP Chaturvedi
rpchaturvedi@gmail.com
MoD slams criticism of pension hike
ReplyDeleteAjay Banerjee/TNS
A day after groups of ex-servicemen termed the government hike in pension for armed forces personnel as ‘misleading’, authorities in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) today retorted by saying this was the third hike in pension in the past four years.
A detailed chart of the financial benefits given to ex-servicemen since October 2008 is being calculated and will be released soon, said sources.
“Our aim is to cover the gap in pensions in a phased manner. This is the third increase in pension of ex-servicemen after the Sixth Central Pay Commission award was announced in October 2008,” authoritative sources said.
The recent hike will help retired personnel of the Indian Air Force, the Navy and the Army.
Moving towards ‘one-rank-one-pension’ formula is a continuing process. Despite the critical financial position of the country, the government has come out with a fresh package for ex-servicemen, sources in the Ministry of Defence said.
Giving out the financial gains made by ex-servicemen following the recent hike announced on September 24, sources said, “On implementation, jawans will be getting an increase ranging from 9.7 per cent to 13 per cent on the existing pension.”
Commissioned officers will be getting an increase in the range of 10 per cent to 28 per cent. The basic pension of a sepoy with 17 years of service will increase by about Rs 500 per month, that of a naik with 22 years of service by about Rs 550 per month and of a havaldar with 24 years of service by about Rs 800 per month. Dearness allowance (presently 65 per cent) will be also payable.