Army in favour of common pay commission with own representative - Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne pitches for common pay commission for armed forces

Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne on Friday pitched for a common pay commission for armed forces and said it must have representation from their side. 

In the light of the announcement of the VIIth Pay Commission, the IAF chief demanded that its terms and references of must include all those anomalies which have crept in the emoluments of armed forces over the decades. "In central pay commission you must have your armed forces representative there to explain your case and also to explain your peculiar condition of service and they must also be able to explain the equivalence of parity, status and so on and so forth," he told reporters at the annual press conference.

 

Though the last four pay commissions have catered to armed forces as well, Browne said their needs and concerns have not been addressed adequately. "What we found is from third pay commission onward, lot of anomalies have crept into the system with each pay commission and some of the anomalies have still not been resolved till date," he said. 

"If you are not there and all those things are done in your absence and finally the pay commission gives report and thereafter we are doing fire-fighting, forming committees like these to do patch repair work," he said. 

When asked if India's growing military alliance with the US and other Western countries was causing unease to Russia, the traditional partner, he said they did not believe in any alliances. "We are not leaning left or right," he said, adding that their purchases are need-based and not because of any country-specific association. 

IAF, he said, had also raised a helicopter unit in Nagpur to assist Central Armed Police Forces in anti-Naxal operations. They will help forces in Baster region, the hotbed of Maoists. 

Source : Zee News (PTI)

DA ORDERS FOR CENTRAL GOVT RETIREES WEF 01.7.13

CLICK HERE FOR DA ORDERS FOR CENTRAL GOVT RETIREES WEF 01.7.13

One Rank One Pension & Separate Pay Commission for Armed Forces: Important Lok Sabha Discussion dated 13-07-2009

Monday, August 5, 2013

 

Fifteenth LokSabha    

Q.NO. 126, Date 13.07.2009, Session No 2, Member Name, ASADUDDIN OWAISI, Ministry Name-DEFENCE, Subject: ONE RANK ONE PENSION FOR DEFENCE PERSONNEL

TITLE   : Madam, I would like to thank the Government for accepting the Committee’s proposal.  The Reply given by the Government mentions about the revision of Lt. Generals’ pension after carving out a separate pay scale for them.  What would be the pay scale because post 1st January, 2006, a Lt. General used to get Rs. 30,190?  This is my first Supplementary.

PARTICIPANTS  : MANISH TEWARI , ASADUDDIN OWAISI , SUSHMA SWARAJ

ANSWER  : A.K. Antony , Mallipudi Raju Pallam Mangapati

SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI (HYDERABAD): Madam, I would like to thank the Government for accepting the Committee’s proposal.  The Reply given by the Government mentions about the revision of Lt. Generals’ pension after carving out a separate pay scale for them.  What would be the pay scale because post 1st January, 2006, a Lt. General used to get Rs. 30,190?  This is my first Supplementary. 

 

SHRI M.M. PALLAM RAJU: Madam, the starting pay for the Lt. General is Rs. 67,000/- to Rs. 79,000/- which has been created.

SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI (HYDERABAD): Madam, in reply to the question that has been put forward, the Government has agreed to set up a separate Pay Commission for the Armed Forced in future.  Can the hon. Minister say that at what point of time would this separate Pay Commission be formed?

SHRI M.M. PALLAM RAJU: Madam, directive towards this effect for forming a separate Pay Commission for the Armed Forces has been sent out from the Prime Minister’s Office and as and when the necessity for the Central Pay Commission comes about, the separate Pay Commission for the Armed Forces also will be set up.

SHRI MANISH TEWARI (LUDHIANA): Madam, I would like to ask the hon. Minister one question.   Would it be correct to summarize the position on One Rank One Pension as follows: that there is full parity between pre and post 1.1.1986 Defence retirees?  There is full parity between pre and post 10.10.97 persons below Officer Rank retirees and there is a modified parity between persons below officer rank retiring before 1.1.2006 and after 1.1.2006.  Would that be correct summarization of the position on One Rank One Pension?

THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE (SHRI A.K. ANTONY): Madam, in the answer itself we have clarified the position.  We have clarified about five categories.  The main thing is that regarding three categories, there is immediately direct benefit.  PBORs are the largest number in the Armed Forces – out of 12 lakh people in the Armed Forces, nearly 95 per cent are PBORs.  Now, after this decision by the Government, the PBORs pension will increase substantially – minimum Rs. 800 and maximum Rs. 1,400 at the PBORs level.  Some of the Commissioned category Officers also will be benefited. 

Madam, there was a difference in the Lt. Generals’ pension. A Committee was also formed regarding the Lt. Generals’ pension. They will be also getting a substantial increase in the pension.

As far as other things are concerned, still we have our own practical difficulties and because of that the Committee was not able to recommend complete agreement regarding the One Rank One Pension.  But this decision is now almost nearer to the goal of One Rank One Pension.

श्रीमती सुषमा स्वराज (विदिशा): महोदया, आपका बहुत-बहुत धन्यवाद।  महोदया, सरकार की वर रैंक वन पेंशन स्कीम की घोषणा ने राहत कम दी है, कंफ्यूजन ज्यादा पैदा किया है।  इसलिए अभी मनीष जी ने जो तीन स्थितियाँ आर्टिकुलेट करके बताईं, अगर वह तीनों सही थीं, तो मंत्री महोदय को कहना चाहिए था कि हाँ, यह करेक्ट समरी है।  आपने कहा है कि प्री एंड पोस्ट पेंशन 1997 में हम लोग पैरिटी ला रहे हैं, तो मैं मंत्री जी से पूछना चाहती हूँ कि अगर एक अफसर 2004 में रिटायर होता है और एक 2007 में रिटायर होता है, उनका लैंग्थ ऑफ सर्विस समान है, तो क्या उन्हें समान पेंशन मिलेगी?

SHRI A.K. ANTONY: Madam, not only three, five positions were clarified in the answer itself.  We have answered the question very clearly about the five categories.… (Interruptions)

SHRIMATI SUSHMA SWARAJ (VIDISHA):  It is creating confusion. That is why, I am asking.… (Interruptions)

SHRI A.K. ANTONY:  There is no confusion.… (Interruptions)

अध्यक्ष महोदया: आप उत्तर मत दीजिए, समय समाप्त हो रहा है।

Source: Lok Sabha Supplementary Question List

In a first, Indian Armed Forces to have separate pay commission

 New Delhi: In a first, Indian Armed Forces will have a separate pay commission that will deal with the pay revision and benefits granted to the defence personnel only.  Giving in to the demands of the three services chiefs, who had written to the Defence Minister AK Antony last year complaining about the anomalies in the sixth pay commission, the Central government has agreed to delink the pay revision of defence personnel from the civilian employees and constitute a separate pay commission for the military personnel this year.

The reports of a first exclusive pay commission for the military comes as the government has today announced the Seventh Pay Commission for 80 lakh central government employees and pensioners. Its recommendations are likely to be implemented with effect from January 1, 2016.

 

Though the government had agreed to cater to the demands of Armed Forces, the three services chiefs registered strong objection to the fact that there was no military representative on the panel set up by the Prime Minister to look into demands of the forces for pay parity with civil servants.  The panel set up by the PM in July had four IAS officers as its members and was headed by the Cabinet Secretary.

 

The main demand of the Armed Forces is granting of Non-functional upgrade in the pay to the armed forces on the lines of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the fact that it would be decided only by the IAS officers did not go down well with the military chiefs. “Unlike IAS where all civil servants retire as Additional Secretaries, the hierarchy structure in the armed forces is very steep. Not more than 20 percent of the people make it beyond the rank of Brigadiers,” reports quoted a Army personnel as saying.

The military personnel’s other demands are granting of One Rank One Pension for retired personnel and One Rank One Pay for those still serving. The Armed Forces also clamoured for fixing rank pay and fixing pay structure for Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR) and junior commissioned officers (JCOs). Reacting to the complaint, the Defence Minister had written to the Prime Minister saying there was "growing discontentment among the services personnel due to the anomalies in fixation of payment and salaries."

Antony conveyed to the PM that the defence personne, ex-servicemen and the pensioners were “agitated” over the pay anomalies and “corrective measures” must be taken soon. The government has so far constituted six pay commissions but it will be the first time since independence that a separate pay commission will be created to look into the pay revisions of defence personnel.

The government constitutes Pay Commission almost every ten years to revise the pay scales of its employees and often these are adopted by states after some modification

 

(Source-Zee Media Bureau/Supriya Jha)
=======================================================================
Form separate Pay Commission for armed forces: SC to govt

Slamming the Centre for making army personnel run from pillar to post on their salary disputes, the Supreme Court today directed the government to examine the idea of setting up a separate Pay Commission for both serving and retired personnel of the armed forces. A Bench of Justices Markandeya Katju and T S Thakur, asked Attorney General G E Vahanvati and Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium to seek instructions from the government as to whether it was open to the idea of a separate pay commission that could be headed by a retired Chief Justice of India or a judge of the Supreme Court.

"The day the soldiers are forced to fight for their salaries, it would be a sad day for the country," the Bench said quoting Chanakya's advise to Emperor Chandragupta Maurya. The apex court said the sane advise of Chanakya was valid even today and it was unfortunate that army personnel are forced to knock the doors of the court for rectifying their salary anomalies. "Army people are a disciplined lot. They cannot go on agitation like others. They should not be forced to fight for their salaries, it is not good for the country.

"It is very unfortunate that today many army people are unhappy. I know thousands of army personnel returning their medals in protest. There was an instance when a senior officer frustrated with the government's approach, even burnt his artificial limb as a protest. Why do you allow such things?" the Bench said. The apex court made the remarks while dealing with a petition filed by certain serving and retired army officers challenging the reported refusal of the government to accord them enhanced "rank pay" as recommended by the Fifth Pay Commission. Counsel Kailash Chand and Ramesh K Haritash appeared for the army personnel.

Though Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium tried to make his submission, the Bench pointed out that in recent years a number of armed forces personnel were moving the courts to get their salary grievances addressed. "The present Pay Commission for them is headed by bureaucrats. They may not be able to understand their problems. It is a burning issue. Why don't you allow them to let their steam out by appointing a Commission instead of making them move from pillar to post. You can appoint a retired Chief Justice of India or a retired Suprem Court judge," the Bench said.

Responding to the suggestion Subramanium said he would seek instructions from the Government on the court's suggestion for a separate Commission within four weeks. Accordingly, the apex court recorded the undertaking and posted the matter for further hearing to October 18.

(Source - Indian Express- 08 Sep 10)
========================================================================

        

Air Force Corporal's Example To The Nation - by R. KRISHNA KUMAR

The Hindu

EPITOME OF INTEGRITY: Despite 

being in need of money, retired Air ForceCorporal Charles Williams wants 

to return the excess money credited to his pension 

 account.

At a time when scams are becoming common, the exemplary honesty and integrity of a retired Indian Air 

Force corporal is hard to ignore.

Charles Williams, 89, a World War II veteran from Mysore and who’s in poor health, wants to return the excess money credited to his pension account.Mr. Williams joined the Royal Air Force in pre-Independent India. After being recruited, he was sent to Lahore for a six-week pre-induction training after which he was posted at Agra. Within days, Mr. Williams was sent to Burma where he saw action against the Japanese.“Though in the RAF, our unit saw a lot of ground battle and we dug in and stayed put in the trenches. We were holed up for weeks without regular supply of food and water. The battle that raged was horrific with soldiers getting maimed and killed in the heavy exchange of fire. But ultimately we prevailed,” recalled Mr. Williams.After retirement, he found certain anomaly in his pension and complained that he was being underpaid. “A visit to the local Sainik Welfare and Resettlement Board did not help me much as officials are apathetic to the grievances of ex-servicemen,” according to Mr. Williams, who then approached M.N. Subramani, president, VeKare Ex-Servicemen Trust in Mysore.

But calculations showed that the Centralised Pension Processing Centre of State Bank of Mysore, Mangalore, had credited Mr. Williams’ account with excess money.Mr. Subramani said he was being credited with Rs. 300 towards fixed medical allowances to which he was not entitled. He was credited with Rs. 15,200 in excess with effect from July 2007.“When this was brought to the notice of Mr. Williams, he asked me to inform the bank to recover the amount in 15 equal instalments so as not to put him in financial hardship,” said Mr. Subramani.What is ironic is that Mr. Williams is returning the medical allowance when he needs it the most. He is visually impaired and desperately needs Rs. 1.5 lakh for a heart operation. “When I am not entitled for something, the national exchequer should not be made to bear the burden,” said Mr. Williams, whose only request was that the excess amount be deducted in instalments.Meanwhile, Mr. Subramani has mailed a letter to SBM, Mangalore, drawing their attention to the anomaly.

 At your service, but how long?

Anil Kaul urges the bureaucracy to accept that ‘One Rank One Pension’ is a just demand

Veterans, my friend, have to choose between being forgotten, mocked or used. As for being understood: Never. — Albert Camus

THE ENTIRE philosophy of handling the affairs of the armed forces and veterans needs an overhaul. By its attitude and deeds, the bureaucracy is ensuring that the atmosphere gets vitiated — once this happens, disaster can overtake the nation sooner than later. The trust of the nation — and the consideration soldiers deserve after the sacrifices they make with a smile — is missing. No amount of these half-hearted measures will be helpful unless this trust deficit is addressed and there is a total attitudinal change of the bureaucracy from ‘Squeeze the last ounce of blood of the soldier in times of emergency and once the job is done hang them’ should change to ‘Give the best to the soldiers as they are doing the most onerous duties for the nation’.

The soldier has to be made to believe that the entire nation is behind him to take care of him while he is ready to make supreme sacrifice. It must be done fast and before he starts asking: ‘Who am I sacrificing my life for? If this is their attitude then why should I sacrifice myself?’

To ensure that such a situation does not arise, there is an urgent requirement for grant of ‘One Rank One Pension’ (OROP) immediately. Thirty years is time long enough for anybody to wait for a basic problem.

Pension as defined by the Supreme Court is not pay but payment for services rendered. The OROP demand was authored way back in 1981 but remains unsolved. The definition of OROP has already been discussed in detail by the government and the Rajya Sabha Petition Committee headed by Bhagat Singh Koshyari and accepted as under:

The pre-1 January 2006 retirees got the same pensions as the post-1 January 2006 retirees by matching up the three factors that govern the pensions of ex-servicemen, i.e., the rank, the length of service and the trade (in case of all ranks below officer rank only). After this was effected, any future increases be automatically applied to old pensioners. The family, disability and dependents’ pensions are included for purposes of this definition. This, however, does not mean the grant of pensionary benefits such as DCRG and additional value of commutation pension.

This definition by no stretch of imagination includes annual increments in pensions as is given to serving soldiers. Not at all.

Notwithstanding the Rajya Sabha Committee Report being presented on 19 December 2011, is the general public aware that in 2013, a post-2006 retiree brigadier (equivalent deputy secretary) will get more pension than post-2006 retiree major generals (equivalent to a joint secretary). The protection clause for the Major Generals would have to be applied or Military Service Pay will have to be extended to Major Generals. This is the mess created by the Sixth Pay Commission. Now compare this with pre-2006 retirees. Pension of post-2012 retiree colonels (equivalent to a director), both time scale and selection grade, is Rs 35,841 whereas pre-2006 retiree major generals’ pension is Rs 26,700.You cannot have three-ranks juniors getting far more pension than the seniors. The OROP was asked for by defence personnel because ours is a rank-based hierarchy and our terms and conditions are unique and different from any other profession. As such, we want the same class of defence personnel is same rank and same years of service who are living today should get the same pension irrespective of the date of retirement and should continue to get same pension in perpetuity.

In their desperation to fool the unwary veterans, the bureaucrats had added the matter of annual increment in pension as per the serving soldiers to the award of OROP. This matter was being flaunted as the biggest stumbling block in grant of OROP.

EX-SERVICEMEN, IN fact, do not want annual increment in pensions as this is not right. The serving soldier gets his annual increment for additional year’s service: How can a pensioner claim the same for his retired service?

OROP means full parity with the latest rates of pension for past pensioners. Once granted, there are no increments till another revision by a Central Pay Commission or a Committee. A paper prepared by ex-servicemens’ organisations for the defence minister on OROP is available on demand. All those who wish to have its copy can be sent one on request. The most important is Chapter 5, which encapsulates all the lies that bureaucrats have been speaking over the past 30 years to scuttle OROP, together with the truth. This was given to the Koshiyari Committee also, which made good use of the information by exposing the lies of the bureaucrats and rejecting them with the contempt these deserved.

Successive governments in the past had claimed that OROP was untenable and the costs exhorbitant. The anomaly was created by the Fifth and Sixth Pay Commissions. The Congress had promised OROP in its poll manifesto in 2004. However, the UPA government rejected the OROP demand in December 2008, after which ex-servicemen returned their gallantry medals to the President and made open overtures towards the BJP. Following protracted protests, a committee was set up under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrasekhar to review OROP issues. Interestingly, it was announced ahead of the parliamentary polls in Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan, which contribute thousands of soldiers to the three services.

On the basis of the panel’s suggestion, the Centre has now agreed to substantially hike the pension of junior commissioned officers and other ranks. The pension of such personnel who retired before 10 October 1997 (implementation date for the Fifth Pay Commission recommendations) will be brought at par with the pension of those retired after that date.

The pension of those retired before 1 January, 2006 — including the 1997 group — will be substantially hiked to come close to those who retired after the cut-off date of 1 January 2006 (implementation date for the Sixth Pay Commission). This is not OROP but better defined as near parity. Implementation of one rank one pension will put a ‘financial burden’ of Rs 1,300 crore on the government, wrote a journalist.Kaul, a retired officer, is the author of Better Dead Than Disabled. The views expressed here are personal.

(Source-anjh Morcha)

Failing India’s Veterans -Retired armed forces officers are being pushed to politicisation by an uncaring government -Arun Prakash

The public handholding between a former general with an opposition political leader earned swift retribution from an indignant ruling party. While the propriety of both actions may be debatable, far more significantly, the leakage of a ministry of defence (MoD) report following this episode has, once more, dragged the office of the service chiefs and the respected institution of the armed forces into sordid media debate and condemnation by insinuation. In recent days we, as Indians, have shown a penchant for publicly denigrating and undermining institutions that are respected and protected by every nation because they are the defenders and faithful servants of the state: Parliament, the military and the intelligence services. In a young and boisterous democracy, such as ours, the elected representatives can be forgiven many trespasses, but lemminglike behaviour is not one of them. 

As we brace ourselves for the forthcoming general elections, there is countrywide apprehension that difficult times lie ahead in terms of political volatility, economic instability and social unrest. The recent grim events in UP could presage worse to come. Externally, the display of belligerence by the Chinese and Pakistani armies, while catching us on the wrong foot, has conveyed the ominous warning that we need to prepare for collusive action by them. To exacerbate our security predicament, the Pak army-ISI combine is waiting for the last GI to depart Afghanistan before unleashing its ‘strategic reserve’ of Taliban on India. In such a daunting scenario, Indians would wish their powerful military to be at the peak of combat-readiness, morale and motivation, ready to react swiftly to orders of the political leadership to meet every national crisis; whether internal disorder or external threats.

Let us pause to consider if such a response can be expected from a military which suffers low self-esteem because its leadership is publicly excoriated and humiliated with regularity and snidely accused of disloyalty, by proxy, through the media. Let us also pay heed to the words of Winston Churchill, an experienced soldier as well as astute politician: “The army is not…an inanimate thing, like a house, to be pulled down or structurally altered at the caprice of the tenant or owner; it is a living thing. If it is bullied, it sulks; if it is unhappy, it pines; if it is harried, it gets feverish.”If there is unanimity amongst the citizenry and the politicians regarding the armed forces, it is that everyone wants them to be completely ‘apolitical’. We are extremely fortunate that in a region full of praetorian militaries, the Indian armed forces have remained completely untainted by political stain or ambition; and it is in the nation’s interest that they continue to be so. 

Regrettably, the same is no longer true of the military veterans, and since the 25-30 lakh former soldiers retain a close umbilical link with the serving personnel there is real danger of the armed forces, too, becoming politicised by osmosis. A pertinent question that arises at this juncture is how and when did the veterans become politicised? The short answer is they have actually been driven to politics over the past five to six years by the indifference of politicians and the hostile manner in which the MoD bureaucracy has handled problems relating to pensions and allowances of aging veterans, war widows and battle casualties. Forced to go to courts, they were stunned to find a litigious MoD fighting them at every step through appeals to higher courts. In a bizarre development, the MoD has perversely refused to implement even Supreme Court judgments favourable to the veterans. In April 2008, the frustrated veterans decided to resort to public demonstrations, in Delhi and elsewhere, to press their demands, and ever since their protest movement has gathered mass, momentum and political flavour. Cautionary advice rendered by senior veterans, including retired chiefs, has been consistently disregarded at the highest levels of the government and MoD. The ‘Rewari moment’ was, therefore, waiting to happen. 

If forcing the veterans to take to the streets was a grave mistake, it has been compounded by serial mishandling, driving a patriotic, disciplined and politically-neutral segment of society into the maw of party politics. Retrieval may be possible even at this late stage if the government initiates urgent action to assuage disquiet among veterans and send a message of reassurance to troops in the field. First, alleged misdemeanours by the senior military leadership must be investigated under the vast powers available to the government and due process of law followed thereafter. Interests of national security demand the utmost discretion and confidentiality in such cases. Media leaks of military matters and trial-by-TV bring comfort only to our enemies. Secondly, the so-called department of ex-servicemen’s welfare must be recast (as in other democracies) with a retired service officer as its head and with adequate veterans on its staff. The bureaucracy should be made to desist from initiating mindless litigation against the nation’s veterans. The defence minister has adequate powers to decide most issues. 

Finally, military headquarters, worldwide, are part of government; only in India are they seen as ‘submitting’ reports/matters for the government’s consideration. It is time to eliminate such bureaucratic subterfuge, by amending the government business rules to subsume the three service HQs within its edifice.
    

 

Forcing them to take to the streets

The writer is former chief of the Indian Navy.

 

(Source-TOI Epaper)

23rd SCOVA Agenda -ATR & gist of discussion – Bharat Pensioners Samaj

Gist of discussions in SCOA 23rd SCOVA meeting on 23/09/2013

20.09.2013 MOS Sh V. Narayanasamy took the chair at 4.00 PM. Joint Secy. DOP &PW Welcomed the Minister, officers from different departments / Ministries & the SCOVA members. After JS welcome address introduction of members & officers started S.C. Maheshwari Genl. Secy. BPS while introducing himself pointed out to the Minister  that while BPS was thankful to the minister for increasing frequency of SCOVA meetings, organization will   be grateful if  instead of few hours at least one full day is earmarked for these meetings and that a system need to be put in place to lay down as to what  type & numbers of items will be accepted for inclusion in SCOVA Agenda. After introduction the MOS addressed the meeting highlighting the  work of the DOPPW & the important circulars issued in the recent past.  He assured that pensioners issues will be dealt on priority by his Ministry.

Final ATR on 22nd SCOVA meeting was then taken up for review. Lively discussion followed each item members expressed their concern over the delay in issuing revised PPOs representatives of every Ministry/Department tried to blame pensioners for the delay stating that they were  not gtiings details from pensioners & sought assistance of Pensioners’ Associations. MOS however directed all departments/ministries to suo-motto issue PPOS to all pensioners within the  target dates.

Commenting on item No2 of ATR i.e. revision of exgratia to cpf/srpf retirees, Secy. Genl. BPS pointed out that the amount of ex-gratia of Rs 645/- per month was too little for the survival of a person. Secy DOPPW retorted that these retirees were not pensioners. Secy. Genl BPS pointed out that these retirees too have a right to survive but no positive reaction could be evoked from official side or the honorable Minister. Position of items 3to 9 remained the same as given in the ATR .However, While discussing item9 of ATR it was pointed out that the M/O Rlys was still not uploading on their website all the orders & circulars issued by Rly.Bd.

Regarding item 10 & 11 of the ATR regarding anomaly in fixation of pension to DOT employees &merger of78% IDA with basic pension benefit to the absorbed BSNL Pensioners, after discussion it was decided that the department of Telecommunication will put up positive proposals by 30.09.2013.

Discussion on new Agenda items:

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
(Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare)

AGENDA ITEMS WITH COMMENTS FOR 23rd MEETING OF STANDING COMMITTEE OF VOLUNTARY AGENCIES (SCOVA) TO BE HELD ON 20th SEPTEMBER, 2013, AT VIGYAN BHANVAN ANNEXE, NEW DELHI

Sl. No.	AGENDA ITEM	COMMENTS
1.	Submission of application in Form 14 be dispensed with for sanction of Family Pension:- As details of family members eligible for family pension in the event of the death of the pensioner, joint photograph with the spouse and the amount of family pension payable in the event of death of the pensioner are available under Part II of the Pension Payment Order issued by the Pay and Accounts Officer or other designated authority. It is redundant and unnecessary to insist on submission of all these details in Form 14 for sanction of Family pension. On the death of the pensioner, a written request from the spouse along with a death certificate of the pensioner is sufficient to sanction the family pension. So the extant cumbersome procedure may be dispensed with and a simplified procedure introduced. Action : D oP&PW	D/o P&PW :- The matter has been examined in the Government. Necessary instruction for grant of family pension without Form-14 where pensioner has a joint account with the spouse and using Form-IA in other cases without having it attested are being issued shortly.
2.	Extension of benefit of upgraded Grade Pay to pre-2006 retirees of S-12 grade :- Benefit of upgraded Grade Pay Rs 4600, introduced subsequently in place of already implemented GP Rs.4,200/- for 5-12 grade in pre- revised scale of Rs 6,500-10,500 w.e.f 01.01.2006 in terms of 0.M No. F.No 1/1/2008-IC dated 13.11.2009 of Mb o Finance, Department of Expenditure is not extended to pre-2006 pensioners retired from S-12 grade. The clarification assumes importance in view of the need for protection of 50% of the minimum Pay in the Pay Band & Grade Pay in 0.M dated 28.1.2013. (Action: D/o Expenditure, D/oP&PW)	D/o P&PW:- The Department has sought following advice from D/o Exp: (i) Whether the grade pay of Rs.4600/- is to be treated as the grade pay corresponding to the pre- revised pay-scale of Rs.6500-10500/- or it is to be treated as upgraded grade pay. (ii) In case, Grade Pay of Rs.4600 is to be treated as grade pay corresponding to the pre-revised pay scale of Rs.6500-10500/-, the pre- 2006 pensioners who retired before 2006 would be entitled to the benefit of this Grade Pay in terms of Para 4.2 of this Department’s OM dated 1.9.2008 and OM dated 28.1.2013 issued by this Department. The D/o Expenditure has been asked to clarify as to what would be the minimum pay in the pay band plus grade pay as per the fitment table, which is to be reckoned for calculation of minimum pension for those pensioners who retired from the scale of 6500/- 10,500/- in terms of OM dated 28.1.2013
3.	Complaints Against The System of Lodging of Pension Grievance :- At present the complaints lodged with Public Grievances is forwarded to the Ministry. Therefore, complaints on Subordinate Officer take a long time to reach them (Subordinate Officer). It is therefore necessary that the complaints are forwarded directly to the officers against whom the complaint is lodged to avoid undue delay. (Action: D/o P&PW)	D/o P&PW: This Department has been forwarding the grievances on pension related matters, received in this Department either on line through CPENGRAMS or otherwise, to designated nodal officers of concerned Ministries/Departments/Organisations. Since even for monitoring those grievances, this Department has been interacting with the designated nodal officers, it is neither prudent not feasible to send grievances directly to subordinate formations.
4.	Broad Banding of Disability Element for Pre-1996 cases. Welfare):- In implementation of the 5th CPC recommendations, Dept of Pensions & PW had issued OM dated 03.02.2000 for revision of disability and family pensions for post 1996 disabled pensioners which, inter alia, applied the principle of broad- banding to compute reckonable percentage of disability. Vide OM dated 11.09.2001 the same benefits were extended to pre-1996 pensioners with effect form01.01.1996, These orders, like others issued by D/o P&PW, are equally applicable to civil as well as defence pensioners. MOD, however, extended the broad-banding benefit to post-96 disabled pensioners only, vide its order dated 31.01.2001, denying it to the pre-96 lot. The 2009 Cabinet Secretary’s Committee, agreed to eliminate this anomaly. However, MoD(DESW) orders dated 19.01.2010 granted the benefit w.e.f 01.07.2009 only, completing ignoring the fact that the same benefit on the civil side has been extended w.e.f 01.01.1996. The matter was asain raised with Deptt/ESW in August 2010. The need to apply the orders w.e.f 01.01.96 was accepted. However, the revised orders are yet to be issued even after lapse of nearly 2- 1/2 years. (Action: M/ o Defence )	M/O Defence (D/o Ex-Servicemen Welfare):- The matter regarding extension of benefit of broad banding to pre-1.1.96 invalided out individuals was processed and referred to MoD(Fin) for concurrence. But MoD(Fin) returned the matter back for knowing the financial implications involved. CGDA, expressed its difficulty in furnishing the requisite information. MoD(Fin) was persuaded to process the matter without the financial implications. The case has been referred to M/o Finance by MoD(Fin) in March,2013. The DESW has been in constant touch with the D/o Expenditure to get the case finalized.
5.	Appointment of Specialists and General Medical Officer in CGHS :- Aged Pensioners are unable to go to crowded Government hospitals and obtain specialist’s prescription as the Specialists in the Government Hospitals are not only reluctant to issue such prescription on one hand but also the waiting time is enormous in the hospital. It is suggested that Specialist of various disciplines may be appointed on contract as is now resorted to. ( Action: M/o Health & FW_)	M/o Health & FW:- Keeping in view the difficulties being faced by the aged CGHS pensioner beneficiaries, feasibility of appointing specialists of various disciplines in CGHS dispensaries on part time/contract basis is being explored
6.	Problems faced by non -Smart Card (old card holders) of CGHS:- As per instructions issued by the Govt. of India, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare vide letter No.6024/2007/CGHS(HR)CGHS(P) Dated 17.12.2012 the beneficiaries of CGHS can get treatment in all CGHS covered cities in India and there is no need for obtaining temporary attachment while on a visit to another CGHS city. It has been brought to the notice of this Association by the members that if they carry CGHS cards while on visit to out stations, their dependant members, who do not accompany them, face great difficulty in case of emergency as without card Wellness Centers do not entertain any patient. Even in case of serious emergency empanelled hospitals do not entertain any patient if the CGHS card is not produced to them within four hours of admission and treat the CGHS beneficiaries as ordinary patients and cashless treatment is not permitted. Similar is the position of the card holder if he leaves the card behind for use of his dependents in his absence or the dependent(s) goes to outstation. The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare is requested to find out a viable solution to this problem so that the beneficiaries of CGHS do not suffer during their visit to outstation. ( Action: Mb o Health & FW)	M/ o Health & FW:- It was decided to replace the old cards by the plastic cards meant for each beneficiary including dependent family members. Now, a beneficiary can avail CGHS facility in any wellness centre anywhere in the country on production of his CGHS Plastic Card or Paper Card. Inpatient medical treatment facility is also available in empanelled private hospitals on production of the same. CGHS has already started issuing plastic cards at all its locations (except Jammu). Beneficiaries may apply for the same with the requisite details and get their plastic cards made from the Office of Add. Director, CGHS of the city concerned.
7.	Extension of benefit of OM dt. 28.1.2013 w.e.f 1.1.2006 instead of 24.9.2012:- Govt. of India, M/o P&PG & Pensions, Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare, New Delhi’s Order No. F-38/37/2008-P&PW(A) dated 28.1.2013. In the light of the judgement of the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi dated 29.04.2013 delivered with reference to Writ Petition No’s WP(C) 1535/2012, WP(C) 2348/2012,WP(C) 2349/2012 and WP(C) 2350/2012 read with Hontle Supreme Court of India’s decision in SLP (C) 23055 of 2013 of the Union of India Vs CG S-(29) (SAG) Pensioners Association dated 29.07.2013, the date of effect mentioned in the GOI order dated 28/1/13 may be revised retrospectively from 1.1.2006 and arrears paid to the eligible Pensioners. ( Action:DoP&PW)	D/o P&PW :- The advice in regard to further course of action on the dismissal of SLP No. 23055 of 2013 by the Hon’ble Supreme Court on 29.7.2013 has been sought from Department of Expenditure. The advice is still awaited.

Item No1 position as given under comments was agreed-item closed.

Item 2.Members were informed that DOE has not agreed. However, on the insistence of members, item kept open.

Item3.while discussing this item following was brought to the notice of the Minister

(1)That though quiet a number of buildings are lying vacant over the Indian Rlys but inspite of the fact that Pensioners Associations are ready to pay the rent,  vacant accommodation is not being allotted to them & that some Rly. Divisions do not accept pensioners associations to be the welfare organizations.  Honorable Minister took note of it.

(2) That  several items submitted by the members for inclusion in SCOVA agenda were forwarded by  DOP &PW vide their letter dated 23.8.2013 to the concerned Ministries/ Departments for direct reply but no replies have been received & that departments generally do not reply

(3) That inspite of repeated assurance given in earlier SCOVA meetings M/O Rlys is not uploading on its website the circulars/orders issued by different Directorates of Rly Board neither these are circulated to SCOVA members

(4)That though as per Indian Rly Master circular on Pension Adalat. Pension Adalat at Divisional level are to be conducted quarterly but these instructions are not being followed & that SCOVA members are not being informed about the date/place of Adalat and the Agenda

 

(Source: www.scm-bps.blogspot)