Defence Notes
New Delhi,
24 July 2012
Defence Want One-Rank-One-Pension
WILL PM SINGH BITE THE BULLET?
By Col (Dr) PK Vasudeva
(Retd)
Will the Prime Minister bite the bullet and grant a
long-standing and just demand of 21 lakh ex-servicemen to implement the
principle of One-Rank-One-Pension (OROP)? According to the buzz in the
corridors of power, Manmohan Singh is likely to make this grand announcement
from the ramparts of New Delhi’s Red Fort on Independence Day 15 August. Developments
in recent days have raised ex-servicemen’s hopes as never before.
Importantly, the issue of
anomalies in pay, allowances and pension compared with other civil services
especially the ‘one-rank-one-pension’ principle of ex-servicemen has been
hanging fire for the last three decades. Thereby, causing deep resentment among
serving and retired soldiers in the defence forces.
Aware of the soldiers’
angst, the Prime Minister constituted a Committee, under the chairmanship of the
Cabinet Secretary, to look into the anomalies in pay and pension-related issues
of defence personnel and ex-servicemen recently.
This is not all. The
Committee was directed to finalise its recommendations and submit the report to
the Prime Minister by 8 August. This
followed a strong recommendation by a Rajya
Sabha Committee advocating adoption of the ‘one-rank-one-pension’ principle to retired defence personnel last year.
Pertinently, the brief of
the Committee’s ‘terms of reference’ are crystal clear. Namely, to look into
issues relating to: One, defence services personnel common pay-scale for
in-service JCOs/OR.
Two, initial pay-fixation
of Lt Col/Colonel and Brigadier/equivalent. Three, review and enhancement of
grade pay, placing of all Lt. Generals’ in HAG + scale and grant of
non-functional upgradation (NFU) to armed forces personnel.
Last but not least, ex-servicemen
to get One-rank one-pension, enhancement of family pension, dual family pension
and family pension to mentally/physically challenged children of armed forces
personnel on marriage.
Unfortunately, to now
order a special committee of babus to
look into old grievances and anomalies in pay scales of serving soldiers, resulting
from the 6th Pay Commission after four years defies logic.
More so against the
backdrop of the Supreme Court having rejected the soldiers repeated pleas to
redress their problems is another one of the farcical games the Government
plays with its forces.
Clearly, the soldiers are
being fooled by the powers-that-be once again as the 2014 elections are barely
two years away. Think. The composition of the committee ensures that no
worthwhile purpose will be served by it. As neither serving nor any retired
soldier has been co-opted as a member.
In fact, the panel’s present
members are the bureaucracy’s henchmen who will do no good, except delay
results, both soldiers and veterans are eagerly awaiting.
Pertinently, last week (18 July) the three service Chiefs, led by Admiral Nirmal
Verma, Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC) along-with his colleagues,
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne and Army Chief General Bikram
Singh gave a detailed presentation to the Committee of Secretaries to resolve
anomalies in the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission award for the Armed
Forces. Appended to this were strong
demands from ex-servicemen and from acting servicemen for implementation of the
one-rank-one-pay principle.
Specially,
as the Sixth Pay Commission had buckled under pressure from the Group organised
Services under the Central Government like the Border Roads Organisation (BRO),
Military Engineering Services (MES), Postal Services by giving them a special
concession.
Notably,
it allowed officers in these services to be placed in a grade pay scale
equivalent to an IAS officer two years behind that particular IAS batch. For
example if a 1992 IAS officer got placed in the Joint Secretary grade in 2012,
all Group A organised officers of the 1990 batch would automatically get the
pay and allowances equivalent to the 1992 IAS batch, irrespective of the post
and place they are serving in. Explicitly, this is the upgradation done on a
‘non-functional’ basis.
Needless
to say, this has brought about huge functional problems in the day-to-day
affairs wherein military officers have to work in close coordination with MES
Civil Officers, BRO Civil Officers, IPS Officers in Border Security Force, Central
Railway Protection Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Defence Accounts (IDAS),
Test Audit (IA&AS), Ordnance Factory Board etc, with whom defence forces
officers inter-act regularly.
Thus,
the military officers senior to them in rank and service will get less grade
pay at the same level of service thereby creating a functional disparity giving
rise to in-subordination and subtle non-compliance.
Interestingly,
according to calculations done by the military, the annual outgo for granting one-rank-one-pension
to the approximately 21 lakh ex-servicemen would not be more than Rs. 1300
crores.
Similarly,
the NFU status, if granted, would cost the exchequer a mere Rs. 70 crore
annually but will go a long way in restoring the pride and status of the armed
forces’ officers.
It remains to be seen whether Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh will show sagacity and wisdom in agreeing to these
basic demands of the defence services and restore dignity to the men in uniform.
Specially, at a time when the military has been buffeted from all sides.
Undoubtedly, in taking this vital decision,
the technocrat Prime Minister will have to rise above his usual bureaucratic
approach. ----- INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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