REPORT MY SIGNAL
28 Jun 2015
Dear Veterans,
Jai Hind.
The email below, from Lt Gen SK Bahri, will shock all the
veterans.
I personally feel that the RM is giving Defence Services and the
ESM maximum possible support; the obstructions are the Babus, The FM and miss
guided by them The PM. We should now think in terms of bringing the PM online by
repeatedly reminding him of his pre-election and post election promises; he
should sort out the FM and his Babus.
Please do not forget – one of the Defence Secretaries, more than a
decade ago, had said “OROP over my dead body”. All Babus now think on the same
line. Babus will stoop down to any extent to fool misguide the FM and PM
about OROP.
In service of Indian Armed Forces Veterans & Families
Chander Kamboj
==========================================
From: Satish Kumar Bahri [mailto:skbahri1@yahoo.com]
Sent: 28 June 2015 12:45
To: Manohar Parrikar
Cc: COAS Sectt; CNS; CAS; Mahalingam Venkataraman; Gen VK Singh
Subject: Fw: Important Caution to Military Veterans and Service HQ
handling OROP with Government
Dear Mr Defence Minister,
Reference the trailing mail from Brig Mahalingam.
A few days ago a team, including me, from IESM
met the FM due to the kind courtesy of Gen VK Singh. Col Rajyavardhan Rathore
was also present. During this meeting the FM came up with the suggestion of a
base pension for each rank and an additional amount for each year of service,
in lieu of OROP. We asked him as to how and who will fix the base pensions, to
which he said that the 7th CPC could do it. He also offered that he would
accept a retd Lt Gen as a member in the CPC. We insisted that this should not
be done, as firstly, pensions as per the Koshyari Committee be paid from 1/4/14
till the award of 7th CPC is announced. Thereafter, the salaries of the serving
personnel may be fixed by the 7th CPC and consequently our pensions will follow
as per rules. We would however, like that the 7th CPC restores the differential
of pension as existing prior to 3rd CPC, which affects the largest number of
ESM. The increase of civilian pensions without a corresponding increase in our
pensions was patently unjustified and against all norms of justice.
Secondly, as the FM had offered to include an
officer from the Services, I feel we should push for it even though it is late.
The advantage would be that we could be warned by him of any underhand deals
being done by the bureaucrats, to our disadvantage. We should also insist that
we be not classified asshudras and be equated with the Class A
services. You being the appointed guardian of the Defence Forces have a duty
towards them, which you have been executing very well so far. So please
continue.
Thirdly, the demand of CAPF is a red herring
intended to muddy the waters, so that the government can put hurdles in resolving
the issue of OROP.
With warm regards.
Satish Bahri
Lt Gen SK Bahri PVSM
A3/502 World Spa East
Sector 30/41
Gurgaon 122001
Tele 0124 4143180/181
Mob +91 981000 2800
==============================================
Important Caution to Mil Veterans & Service HQ handling OROP with Babus
Dear All,
"Military Pension" is a concept
devised by the bureaucracy with some intent. The concept must be viewed with
caution by the leaders of the Veteran’s community presently engaged with the
Government on the issue of OROP.
As it seems, the nomenclature of the
proposal suggests that the Government is likely to lay down a Pension Band
like the present Pay Band. The point that is likely to be missed out is,
equating the pension of the Veterans of the past with the pensions of soldiers
retiring from service today with equivalent rank and service. As a result
the Pension Band is likely to be much below the Pension applicable to personnel
of the same rank and length of service retiring today. The implication
would be, even if the pension band, say for a Brigadier retiring with 25 years
of service is Rs 2000 per month with an increase of Rs 25 for every 6 months
increase in service, it would fit in with the definition of OROP. In other
words, the Pension Bands may be delinked from Last Pay Drawn.
The bureaucracy may be banking on
cashing on this interpretation to circumvent OROP.Once announced the Government
will go whole hog to mislead the general public to claim that the Veteran’s
demands have been fully met as the pension from then on would be same for
persons of the same rank with same service irrespective of their date of
retirement.
It appears to me that instigated claims of CAPFs demanding OROP,
the JCOs and OR getting less increase due to OROP etc. are being generated to
create friction amongst ranks and files of the army as well as the Veteran’s
community. It would also enable the Government to create a belief amongst the
civil population that OROP indeed is a complicated process. On this very
pretext of allegedly being able to examine the issue of OROP comprehensively to
include CAPF and other Police Forces, the issue may be palmed off to 7th CPC. The
larger aims and approach of the Government (read bureaucracy) explains the
delay in implementing OROP.
If you study this carefully, it may be
a sinister plan something similar to the 3rd CPC. This will
reduce the pension of the present retirees delinked from their Last Pay Drawn.
In the long run, the pensions of the Defence Community will be hit very hard.
The purpose of writing this mail is to
caution those handling the issue including the Service HQ of the likely pit
falls. Even after the Government makes the announcements, the experts from
the Veteran’s community and the Service Headquarters need to study the letter
carefully before claiming success or expressing happiness over the issue.
We should remember how the Rank Pay was
skirted even after the Government letter was issued.
Incidentally, along with OROP, we need
to insist that a rep from each service and the Veteran’s community need to be
included in the committee working out the details of the scheme. It is time the
Service HQ and the Veteran’s community also insists that similar representation
is accepted in the 7th CPC before it is too late to mend things.
I sincerely hope and pray that my
assessment is totally wrong and misconceived. I would be happy if the
Government proves me wrong by implementing OROP, the way it was conceived and perceived.
Regards,
Brigadier V Mahalingam (Retired)
(Source- Vasundhra blog)
