Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Military Pension Concept - By Brig V Mahalingam (Retd)

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 blog 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 perceived.  

Regards,

Brigadier V Mahalingam (Retd.)

(Source- Sainik Darpan blog)

2 comments:

  1. The OROP modilities have been cleared and the notification has been issued and put up to the signing authority for signature, for signature the pen has become out of order for further six months.

    ReplyDelete
  2. सातवें वेतन आयोग की सिफारिशें लागू होने से बढ़ेगी कार सेल्स
    car+sales+7th+cpc

    इन्वेस्टर्स का मानना है कि इस साल आने वाली सातवें वेतन आयोग की सिफारिशों से सरकारी कर्मचारियों की सैलरी बढ़ेगी, जिससे मारुति सुजुकी को फायदा हो सकता है। वेतन आयोग की सिफारिशें अक्टूबर तक आने की उम्मीद है। माना जा रहा है कि इसे जुलाई 2016 तक लागू कर दिया जाएगा। इससे फाइनैंशल इयर 2017 में कार सेल्स में डबल डिजिट में बढ़ोतरी की उम्मीद है। ऐनालिस्टों का कहना है कि वेतन आयोग की सिफारिशें लागू होने से सबसे ज्यादा फायदा मारुति सुजुकी को होगा। पिछली बार वेतन आयोग की सिफारिशों के लागू होने के बाद फाइनैंशल इयर 2009 से 2011 के बीच कार सेल्स में सालाना 18 पर्सेंट की बढ़ोतरी हुई थी।

    ReplyDelete