Tuesday 8 July 2014

MEETING WITH DG (PS&MP) ON 18 JUL 2013



Dear Friends

We met Lt Gen NK Kohli the DG (PS&MP) AHQ on 18 Jul as scheduled. Our delegation was led by Lt Col Inderjit Sigh and comprised of Lt Cdr Avtar Singh, Lt Nar SIngh Dass, Sub Maj Nahar Singh, and Sub Bhagat Singh. The AHQ team was led by Lt Gen NK Kohli and comprised of Maj Gen Madhulkar ADG PS, Brig VD Chowgule DDG PC Cell, Brig PS Verma DDG PS, Brig Anil Chauhan DDG Veterans Cell.

The Chairman Lt Col Inderjit Singh had written a series of letters to the Chiefs on various matters of concern to the Veterans recently. DG stated that he had called the meeting so that we could be apprised about what was being done at the AHQ level.


Lt Col Inderjit Singh made it very clear at the outset, that we had not gone there to score points against the Services, in any case who are Services, they are us. One doesn't score points against ones self. Our purpose therefore was to work out a relationship by which we work together to achieve common goals. As a result all tensions disappeared and we sat down to heart to heart pow vow in a very relaxed atmosphere.


POINTS FOR DISCUSSION

Rank Pay Case The DG gave us complete details as to how the matter has been taken up by the Chairman of COSC himself with the RM. As of date the matter is with the Attorney General for correct interpretation of the Judgement of the HSC.

Separate Pay CommissionThe Chairman expressed his shock at the raging debate about the desirability or otherwise of Separate Pay Commission. This bounty was the result of 15 years of our hard work. Now that it has come we are wanting to give it up? Rather than give it up we should ask for its charter, composition and timings to be such that facilitate the resolution of our problems rather than make it another employment avenue for the bureaucrats to play merry hell into our welfare measures as they have done through the ESM Deptt. The next step should be that we sought that the report of this PC should be sent to the PM for his orders without the meddling of the bureaucrats. Our point was taken.


Instruments In Place
The Chairman submitted that we are beset with dissent within ourselves.Unless the Services play the desired role we can not overcome this problem due to bloated egos and personal political or monetary goals
of individuals after retirement . What is required is that we set up a Standing Committee of Voluntary Associations (SCOVA) which meets every quarter under the AG and equivalent officers from other services to discuss our problems. It can have twelve Veterans Associations as members. Besides every thing else it would bring in unity of thought at least. It is here we can bring our problems and work out how to tackle these. Similar SCOVA we are working hard to get started in the MOD. The point was well taken after discussions.

He also pointed out that this was the first step, many more are needed for restoration of dignity to the AFs. The following additional steps besides SCOVA of the MOD need to be brought about:-


a) The ESM Deptt to be fully manned by Serving or retired personnel of the AFs.


b) The AFs should be represented at all levels of decision making in the MOD.


c) The Veterans Resettlement Commission with full powers to be set up to look after the welfare of Veterans.


Majors and Lt Col's Case

The case of Majors and Lt Cols with regard to down gradation of status and pensions was taken up. Th DG informed that they had taken it up several times but it has been turned down. The Chairman asked how could we accept a major with thirty years service brought down to the level of a major with six years service monetarily and status wise. Further how could we accept a Lt Col (SG) being downgraded to the Lt Col (TS). After discussion it was decided that they will take it up again, while we pursue the matter also.

33 Years Conditionality- Removal


The Chairman brought out the injustice to the AFs by imposing 33 years condition for grant of 50 % of pay as pension. Here is a soldier who is not allowed to serve beyond 17 years and when time comes for his retirement he is punished for not serving 33 years by cutting one third of his pension.This is nothing but DAY LIGHT ROBBERY on the pension of a man who staked his life for maintaining the Security and Integrity of the nation We have been seeking its removal. Every time we were told that that was a cardinal principle and cannot be removed for AFs. The Sixth CPC first removed it for civilians even though they could serve 33 years and not for AFs. When we agitated this was removed for Jawans from 01 01 2006 and for officers from 2008. What logic for delayed relief to officers needs investigation.
The rule for AFs should be that they got full 50% of the last pay drawn if they served full length of service allowed for their rank. A proportional amount may be deducted for the number of years less service if he does not serve full term. In this matter 33 years do not figure for any rank except for a few on top. Periodical sops of weightage is not the answer. The answer rests in removal of this conditionality altogether. It was agreed that this matter would be taken up by Services as well as us.

ECHS AND MPS


The Chairman apprised the DG of the plight of Veterans living in remote areas and urged that a thorough reappraisal be carried out of ECHS and suitable modifications / improvements brought about so that the aspirations of the vast majority of veterans living in villages are also suitably taken care of. Medicare Policy Scheme (MPS) is one such alternative. A paper on the matter was handed over to the DG by the Chairman.

He pointed out that figures of ten lakh members is very misleading. Of these ten lakh, 7-8 lakh are those who were forced to be members of ECHS before they retired. Only 2-3 lakh of earlier around 20 lakh veterans took up the membership voluntarily even after ten years of extensive publicity. Have we analysed why?

He also pointed out that an Overseeing Committee was formed some times back. Our Association who are responsible for having got the assured Medicare for Veterans accepted by the Govt after twenty years of struggle were left out. He requested that this infirmity be removed so that a grass root level feed back is available for arriving at the right conclusions.

Lt Cdr Avtar Singh's Case


During the meeting the, following points were brought out by Lt Cdr Retd Avtar Singh:-
a) As per PCDA Pune Calculation of rank pay the officers of the rank of major and equivalent should be placed in PB 4.
b) The Govt of India letter dated 29 Feb 2000 has unwittingly placed the officers of the rank of Major into various pay scales and fixed effective date arbitrarily as 29-2-2000. It needs to be corrected to be effective from 1-1-2006.
c) The term minimum of fitment table in letter dated 17 Jan 2013 has been substituted in place of minimum of pay in pay band. This is the third instance when the recommendation of Sixth CPC has been tinkered with. The above adversely affects the officers who retired after 1-1-1996

The DG took note of these points and decided to take up the matter in consultation with us.


Placing on the Mailing List


The Association should be placed on the mailing list for receiving all notifications released by them. It was accepted.

Overseeing Committee of ECHS


The Association which brought in the medicare for Veterans has been left out of the Overseeing Committee set up by the Service HQs. This short coming should be removed to get grass root level feedback. 


Pensionary Benefit On rendering 28 Years and above Service by Sub Maj rank)
As per table No 42 of Circular No 430 dt 10 Mar 2010 of CDA(P) Allahabad read Govt of India , Min of Def letter No. PC10(1)/2009-D(Pen/Pol) dated 08 Mar 2010 ,Sub/Sub Maj who had rendered 28 Years of service will get pension Rs 12285/- pm, whereas Sub Maj who had served another 4 years or more service than 28 Years are getting same pension as Sub which is injustice to Sub Maj rank.

It is clearly mentioned in the policy letter that a Sub Maj will serve another 4 years of service or attaining of 52 years of age which ever is earlier on promotion of Sub Maj.
Sub Maj is performing much more responsible job and it should be given more pension than a sub.

Financial Benefits to Hony Commission JCOs after Retirement

A Sub/Sub Maj getting Hony Commission after retirement has no financial benefits. We have Sepoys and Havildars who get Honorary ranks after retirement and still they get monetary allowance. If they could be given benefits then why these Sub/SM have been denied this privilege.

We request the matter is taken up to ensure that Sub/ SM get the monetary benefits for the rank they get after retirement. If this can not be given then please stop the practice. It is no point in giving status unless it is backed by the ability to maintain it also.
Upgradation of Group ‘Y’ (Earlier Group ‘B)

There is no upgradation in old Group 'B' (Now comes under Group 'Y' ) since 4th Pay Commission. It is submitted that some of the categories which were in group E earlier have been upgraded to group X, but those who belonged to group B earlier and were placed in group Y continue to remain there. This anomaly may please be rectified and Gp B personnel of yore be upgraded to Gp X to restore status of these personnel.
MAILS RECEIVED FROM VETERANS

The appointment with DG (PS&MP) was announced by us on the net. Taking advantage of our meeting a large number of members and non members of the Association sent us points for taking up. All those mails were handed over to the DG who promised to have these processed and send us the reply.


The following mails were handed over to the DG :-
(a) Wg Cdr GB Athri (Retd) -Mail regarding Veterans can draw their liquor and grocery from any CSD Canteen.
(b) Lt Cdr KS Rawat (Retd) - Pen anomaly point iro pre 1996 Maj verses Para Mil Comdt.
(c) Col Krishnan (Retd) - Rank Pay fiasco, arrears and final Pay fixed for further Pen.

(d) Lt Cdr Sopan R Doke - Maj Rank Pension pre 2006.

(e) Lt Cdr GK Balaji - Upliftment of Pen of Majors/Eqv.

(f) Cdr Ravindra Waman Pathak - A large number of points on every conceivable problem on which he sought latest situation.

(g) Major GS Virk - Majors Pension matter 
PARTING

The meeting ended with both sides happy over the exchange of views without any hold back in the most informal atmosphere. The DG assured the Chairman that in future they would work in close cooperation with us. The Chairman thanked him for sparing so much time to discuss every point threadbare to understand the matter as we the Veterans perceive it.


SM Nahar Singh
Office Secretary

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