All India Ex-Services Welfare Association

ALL INDIA EX SERVICES WELFARE ASSOCIATION 

Our Mail IDs - aiewaorg@gmail.com, aiewa81@hotmail.com 

 aiewa_association@rediffmail.com
Web site: www.aiewa.org
Blog: aiewa.blogspot.in

(We Were THIRTY YEARS YOUNG On 21 Nov 2011)

M 35 Palika Bhawan, 
 RK Puram, Sector 13,
New Delhi 110066.

Ph: 011-26110710
Fax: 011-241O6144

Dear Friends,

I have addressed this letter to the Hon' PM. (It has copy of my letter to RM). This has been sent to RM, RRM and the three Chiefs on 29 Dec. I hope this gets to him.

Regards

Lt Col Inderjit Singh
Chairman AIEWA

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LETTER TO PM

ALL INDIA EX SERVICES WELFARE ASSOCIATION

Dear Narendra Chhote Bhai Saheb,

I read your statement about OROP on board INS Vikrant with a mixed feeling. The Prime Minister of a Nation making such a statement would send the morale sky high, but for me who is the author of OROP and who knows the ground realities, it is nothing but a feeling of disgust. It is sad for me to realise that our Prime Minister is being made to make a wrong statement repeatedly.

It is either you are not being given the right inputs, or you are making such a statement for some political reason. Doing it either way to the soldiers is unforgivable. If you have decided to go back on your promise because of some compelling reasons say so. We as true patriots will accept your word and would understand and wait for some more time, but for God’s sake do not ram an apology of an OROP down our throats as OROP. These poor fellows cannot protest or question you, is this why their feelings are being trampled? If your Babus have not explained to you as to what is OROP I would make an attempt. I hope they let the letter reach you. 

OROP Demystified

Let us first see what are the major issues without which it is not OROP. First is that pensions of past pensioners are brought at par with the present pensioners, with the same rank and same length of service, irrespective of date of retirement. After this was done any future increase given to current pensioners is automatically passed on to past pensioners to ensure that past pensioners continue to draw the same pension as the current pensioners. Have we addressed any of these issues to call an increase in pensions announced as    OROP? No! On the contrary by various directions given in the Notification it has been ensured that these fundamentals can never be achieved.

Govt Notification On OROP

The Govt Notification that has come out makes sure that the pension of past pensioners are not made equal to present pensioners and can by no means  be equal in future too. A detailed analysis I made and sent to Hon'ble RM. I will enclose a copy of my DO letter should you have time you can go through it to understand the mischief these Babus have played with us and are now out to bring bad name to you. 

One Man Commission

Latest one is the Notification on one man Commission. With this they plan to give a final burial to OROP. 

Firstly what is this Commission going to decide?  Whether OROP is to be given? This is Govt's prerogative and decision has already been taken by the Govt' besides two Parliaments. The next can be legality of OROP. Here a mention of NFFU will not be out of place. The Babus have sanctioned for themselves NFFU. This is nothing but day light robbery by the babus on Govt treasury and would not stand judicial scrutiny in any Court. If this could be legalised, a legitimate demand of OROP should pose no problem.

Further the Commission has been appointed to attend to our problems but there is no provision for it to take and consider our representations. It will only consider questions by the Govt. This is to ensure that it gives final burial to OROP.

Over the past 35 years it has been a constant tussle between me and babus. They are trying to get OROP rejected by a committee comprising of leaders and I am thwarting their designs.  So far they were not allowed to succeed. Now they are probably going to get it fixed by Judicial Committee where we have no say.

Facilities By US Gov't

To give you an idea as to what is happening in USA! I submit that OROP is given in USA. They however call it 100% neutralisation of cost of living for Armed Forces for pay and pensions which is not given to civil services. Further they give 50 % of last pay drawn with 20 years’ service to the Armed Forces and civilians get 30 % of last pay drawn after 33 years’ service. The clincher is that while the pensions of the Armed Forces are fully paid by the Gov't, civilians’ pension is contributory. In year 2000, Sh Vajpayee Sahib the PM very kindly accepted my suggestion to make our civilian employees pensions contributory. 

I have been warning the leadership ever since about the bureaucrats’ intentions to include the Armed Forces also in the New Pension Scheme and so far they were kept at bay. They have now used the 7th CPC platform to carry out their nefarious designs. It’s for the Leadership to see they do not succeed.

Problem of Implementation

In 1989, Sh VP Singh the PM posed the same problem of implementation to me. I told him that it was the simplest thing to implement. CDA has the new and old rates of pension and the required expertise. He be told to implement OROP. He will match up the rank, the length of service and for PBOR the group in which they served also, of old and new pensioners and give it. If there is an odd case where it is difficult to determine the pension that case can be decided separately by all stakeholders. 

In this case luckily they do not have to do much. When the Gov't took the decision to give it, they formed a Committee of all stake holders which worked out a Draft Govt Letter (DGL). This letter has some shortcomings with regard to Majors. LT Col (SG) and Honorary Ranks pension which can be sorted out in a day's sitting and letter issued.

PM Who Means Business

We are not opposing the Notification because we want to let down our respected Prime Minister and his Govt. Please do understand that we by taking this stand are only ensuring that you our respected Prime Minister go down in the history as a leader who liberated the Armed Forces from the stranglehold of the Bureaucracy and ensured that they got their rightful place in the Society and not the one who let down the Veterans. A leader who not only knew what he wanted but also knew how to get it. 

Narendra ji the enthusiasm you generated among Veterans before and after the elections, I had hoped that you will sanction Rs 2000 crore more than the sum required for OROP to enable us to remove all other anomalies that remain. Do you know the bureaucrats have been robbing 33 % of a jawan's pension unauthorisedly for the past 40 years by imposing 33 years conditionality for grant of pensions? It took me 15 years to have it removed but they allowed it after they removed for themselves when it rightly should continue for civilians.

Conclusion

A concept that was brought up by us on 22 Feb 1982, has been finally defined by the Koshyari Committee of Rajya Sabha led by a very respected leader of the BJP and sanctioned by two Parliaments. This concept was devised to release the Veterans from the stranglehold of the Bureaucrats. This Notification is their desperate attempt to maintain their stranglehold. Their technique as usual has been to complicate rules so much that it becomes difficult to correct these in future. It’s for the leadership to think whether the bureaucrats can be permitted to destroy the Armed Forces and play havoc with the National Security.

Submitted for your serious consideration and granting us proper relief. Full justice will only be possible if the present Notification is withdrawn and new one is issued and also the Judicial Commission is cancelled and DGL worked out earlier issued after correcting the shortcomings as suggested earlier. We will ever remain grateful.

The Hon'ble

Sh Narendra Modi

The Prime Minister of India

New Delhi

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LETTER TO THE RM

ALL INDIA EX SERVICES WELFARE ASSOCIATION

Respected Parrikar Saheb

I was astonished to read your statement about OROP. It said that all major issues have been addressed. In case there are any issues that need to be considered it can be represented to the One Man Judicial Committee.  

OROP Demystified

Let us first see what are the major issues without which OROP has no meaning. First is that pensions of past pensioners are brought at par with the present pensioners, with the same rank and same length of service, irrespective of date of retirement. After this was done any future increase given to current pensioners is automatically passed on to past pensioners to ensure that past pensioners continue to draw the same   as the current pensioners. Have we addressed any of these issues to call an increase in pensions announced as   OROP? Let us examine one by one.

Now the Salient features of the OROP that have been addressed.

Date of Implementation

To begin with, pension of the past pensioners would be 

re-fixed on the basis of pension of retirees of calendar

year 2013 and the benefit will be effective with effect from 

1.7.2014. Pension will be re-fixed for all pensioners on the basis 

of the average of minimum and maximum pension 

of personnel retired in 2013 in the same rank and with 

the same length of service.

OROP is equalisation of pensions and not re fixation. It therefore flouts the basic requirement of OROP.

Net result of this is that past pensions will be worked out on the basis of lower scale and what accrues will be given for three months less period. A loss of minimum of Rs 2100 cr to the veterans. Further the entitlements will be worked out on average of minimum and maximum of 2013 scales. In one stroke rather than give something what the Veterans want, it has taken away what has been given to them for decades Yes1 It is top of the scale I am talking about. 

Re-fixation After 5 Years

The next issue that seems to have been resolved is-

In future, the pension would be re-fixed every 5 years.

This would mean that the pension will never be equal to the current pensioners’ level. Instead of One Rank One Pension it will mean a minimum of One Rank Five Pensions.

Premature Retirement

Now we come to the next point that has been resolved. 

 Personnel who opt to get discharged henceforth on their own request 

under Rule 13(3)1(i)(b), 13(3)1(iv) or Rule 16B of the Army Rule 1954 or

 equivalent Navy or Air Force Rules will not be entitled 

to the benefits of OROP. It will be effective prospectively.

We were thrilled when you appointed a committee to suggest means to cut down litigation that the veterans have to resort to get redressal for their problems. This benevolence is going to work precisely against that spirit. Rather than save them from going to the Court this will force everyone to follow that channel. The result in all cases will be in favor of Veterans but they will have to go through the trouble and expense.

Judicial Committee   

The next point is-

The Govt. has decided to appoint a Judicial Committee 

to look into anomalies, if any, arising out of

implementation of OROP. The Judicial Committee 

Will submit its report in six months,

What is this Judicial Committee going to solve that cannot be solved by sitting across the table with us. If NFFU which is nothing but Daylight Robbery on the Govt Treasury can be approved and sanctioned for Civilians without a whimper, in a matter of days, all minor issues that may arise can surely be solved by us sitting together. In any case our respected PM has given us Veterans Commission for our problems last year. It has yet to be constituted. Let this be made a reality. Our problems that come up can be looked after by it.

OROP Not Addressed

Having gone through this note you tell me whether all matters have been addressed or not.  Honestly speaking these have only been addressed for destroying the very concept of OROP. The net result of this Notification will be all round disappointment and frustration leading to a flurry of Court Cases. The Veterans will continue to be treated as beggars by the Bureaucrats.

PM Who Means Business

We are not opposing this because we want to let down the Govt. Please do understand that we are, by taking this stand are only ensuring that our respected Prime Minister goes down in the history as a leader who liberated the Armed Forces from the stranglehold of the Bureaucracy and ensured that they got their rightful place in the Society and not the one who let down the Veterans. A leader who not only knew what he wanted but also knew how to get it.

Conclusion

A concept that was brought up by us on 22 Feb 1982, has been finally defined by the Koshyari Committee of Rajya Sabha led by a very respected leader of the BJP and sanctioned by two Parliaments. This concept was devised to release the Veterans from the stranglehold of the Bureaucrats. This Notification is their desperate attempt to maintain their stranglehold. Their technique as usual has been to complicate rules so much that it becomes difficult to correct these in future. It’s for the leadership to think whether the bureaucrats can be permitted to destroy the Armed Forces and play havoc with the National Security.

Submitted for your serious consideration and granting us proper relief. Full justice will only be possible if the present Notification is withdrawn and new one is issued. To ensure that the bureaucrats do not short change once again, we be co-opted with the drafting team. We are prepared to help in any manner you need our services.

With warmest regards

Yours Great Well Wisher

Lt Col Inderjit Singh

Chairman

Author of OROP

09811007629

The Hon'ble

Sh Manohar Parrikar

Defence Minister of India

South Block

New Delhi