Showing posts with label OROP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OROP. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

OROP & THE GREAT BETRAYAL OF FAUJI FOR ITS VOTE BANK & FAILED PROMISES

SOURCE:
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/of-fauji-vote-bank-and-failed-promises/391091.html



 'Pakistan must focus on ending poverty instead of breeding terror'                                                           - Narendra Modi speech in Rewari
  
                 ना  टेरर  रुका  |
                 ना  टेरर से  ख़ून  रूका 
                 ना  फ़ौज को आधुनिक  हत्यार  मिला |
                 ना  फौजी  को  ओरोप  मीला | 
                 ना  फौज  का  7 CPC लागू हुआ | 
                 ना  रेड्डी वन  मैन  कमीशन रिपोर्ट आउट हुआ | 
                 मिला  तो हतियार  का  मेमोरंडम  OF  अंडरस्टैंडिंग मीला
                 डिलीवरी  का  DATE  मिला  जुलाई 2019                                        SATBIR BOLA मिला ONE  टाइम  RAISE  मिला  
                 वह भी  भिखारी के  KATMANDAL  में  
                 KHOTA  ओरोप  का  MEAN  वैल्यू  KA देन  मिला 
                 मोदी  BOLA फौजी को आरोप MILA
                 मोदी  का वायदा  पूरा हुआ 
                    
                   NA  HATHIAR  NA OROP
                   NA CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF
                   NA  RAKSHA MANTRI
                   MANTRALLAYA BABU KE RAM BHAROSE
                   JAI JAWAN JAI KISSAN 
              MERA BHARAT MAHAN
                                               - Vasundhra









              OROP & THE GREAT BETRAYAL

Of Fauji Vote Bank and Failed Promises

                              By


 

       Col Dabby S De Mello (RETD) 


On September 15, 2013, in an election rally at Rewari the BJP had promised to implement the One Rank One Pension scheme. Almost three years later, the promise has still not been fulfilled. The issue is far from being resolved. The nurturing of the armed forces en bloc has created a new vote bank.
 Apr 13, 2017.







Veteran ex-servicemen protest against the non-implementation of the One Rank One Pension scheme outside Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s residence in New Delhi. PTI



IN present-day India, come elections, the political parties throng to the various vote banks.  On September 15, 2013, one more vote bank was added to the existing list; the “Armed Forces Vote Bank”



                    OROP & THE GREAT BETRAYAL

                   [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EYZAespU3o ]



 'Pakistan must focus on ending poverty instead of breeding terror'                                                           - Narendra Modi speech in Rewari
  
                

Persons from the armed forces, especially  retired soldiers, are a fairly close-knit community.The mollycoddling of the military had thus far not been openly attempted by any political party even though politicisation had been going on for long. The collective mindset of the veterans it seems altered on  September 15, 2013. On this day they (rightly or wrongly) allowed themselves to be considered a vote bank, perhaps due to the feeling that they have been taken for granted.



 In the run-up to 2014 General Election, a poll strategist of the BJP apparently came up with a bright idea: “Why not tap the neutral armed forces, serving as well as retired, and use them as a vote bank”. The idea, appreciated by one and all as one whose time had come, was considered a master stroke. 
A survey was conducted to ascertain the numerical strength of this vote bank.  The strength of the three services —the Army, Navy and the Air Force regulars is already well known. The district and state sainik boards have the data regarding the ex-servicemen, military widows and the reservists. 


The combined strength of the three services as per the Indian Defence Year Book is around 14 lakh, ex-servicemen constitute nearly 26.5 lakh, military widows and war widows 6.5 lakh and 45.5 thousand, respectively, (a testimony to the huge, but unrecognised, national sacrifice of our soldiers and the most unjustly  neglected lot), the reservists are 1.7 lakh. The sum total is 49.1 lakh. Multiply it by a modest figure of  10 (family members and close friends) and the simple arithmetic  gives you a whopping and magic number  of 4.91 crore. A pan-India electorate which could influence 110 parliamentary seats, if evenly dispersed constituency wise. If the demographic spread is slightly uneven, the influence pattern may get marginally reduced but would still be formidable. Sometime during the middle of 2013, the BJP started a primary membership drive for ex-servicemen. The veterans were excited about being part of the electoral process, something denied to them since Independence. They even got a (misplaced) feeling of empowerment. Within a couple of months, the membership grew unexpectedly. Senior veterans organised motivational workshops at the block and district level and the middle-level ones motivated those  at the village and mohalla level. 


The agenda was to project the BJP as a jawan-friendly party, worth giving a chance to. The disciplined and obedient vote bank was shaping well. For the game plan to work, the BJP needed a believable electoral promise, a bait attractive enough for the faujis to bite, and an organisation with a strong leadership to spread the promise to the jawans throughout the country. The bait already existed for the ex-servicemen — the promise to implement One Rank One Pension (OROP) for defence pensioners. Prior to this, to press home the longstanding demand of OROP, in 2008 the entire ex-servicemen community came under one umbrella, with the formation of the United Front of Ex-Service Men (UFESM), headed by a retired General officer. Since then the UFESM made its presence felt all over India in support of the highly emotive issue of OROP. Poll strategists of the BJP were monitoring the influence and expanse of this front of disciplined and obedient ex-servicemen who would obey their seniors, including voting en masse for a particular political party in the polls. The aim as well as the mechanism to spread it among the 4.91 crore-strong armed forces vote bank were readily available. The only thing the BJP needed was a master stroke to showcase a supposedly charismatic figure and kick-start the campaign. It was a win-win strategy. The BJP had one  in Narendra Modi. 


Now that the statistics had been worked out, the BJP and the veterans devised a plan to collect the ex-servicemen and tell them that the BJP was truly a jawan-friendly party, committed to safeguarding their interests. Accordingly, Rewari a small town in southern Haryana was chosen as the venue for the All-India Ex- Servicemen Rally on September 15, 2013, to be addressed by Narendra Modi, the projected prime ministerial candidate. Captain Abhimanyu, a veteran and a BJP heavyweight in Haryana, was tasked to organise the rally. Handouts with tri-services colours and the lotus logo were distributed far and wide. 

been declared the prime ministerial candidate on September 13, 2013 but it was on  September 15, when  he addressed his maiden election rally at Rewari that this was publicly announced. 


The rally was attended by 31 retired generals, many more brigadiers and colonels ( I was one of them ), majors and captains running into hundreds, and an estimated seven lakh JCOs and jawans — all flashing their shining miniature or full medals on their chests. A photographer's delight indeed. Narendra Modi mounted the stage, bowed five times in front of the ex-servicemen and there was a thunderous roar by the upbeat veterans: "Dekho, dekho kaun aaya! Bharat Ma ka sher aaya". Yes the lion, the would-be king had arrived. The lion mesmerised the audience with his one hour and five minutes’ flawless oratory. He  mentioned that some political parties were indulging in vote-bank politics with the military and they should not fall prey to them. 


What he said in the 47th minute of his speech was what the entire defence fraternity was waiting for. “Hamare fauji bhaiyon ki wazib maang sweekar honi chahiye”. He continued, “Your longstanding and just demand of One Rank One Pension has been pending since so many years. Why?”He further added, "Had our government come to power in 2004, fauji bhaiyo, maanniye Vajpeyi ji would have ensured that your wazib demand of One Rank One Pension was met and the honour and dignity of the serving and retired is restored”. It had an instant connect with the jubilant audience. Another roar by the now totally mesmerised, or should we say brainwashed innocent faujis, “Dekho dekho kaun bol raha. Bharat ma ka sher bol raha”. After the massive response by the ex-servicemen in Modi's maiden election rally at Rewari, for the NDA (read the BJP) the wind of approval seemed favourable, the sea seemed calm and the Ark (vote bank of the ex-servicemen) seemed ready too. All it needed was a call from the General to all veterans to vote for the BJP to ensure the BJP's Ark, sails through. At the appropriate time, the General gave a call to the entire fraternity of ex-servicemen throughout India: “Vote for the BJP. Modiji has promised to fulfil our demand of One Rank One Pension”. The entire defence fraternity of 4.91 crore responded to the General's rallying cry and en masse as a vote bank cast their ballot for the BJP. 


As a result, over one-fifth of the NDA's thumping majority in the 2014 General Election was courtesy the soldiers in and out of uniform. On September 15, 2013, a new vote bank, the “Armed Forces Vote Bank” was rightly or wrongly formed. 


The defence pensioners have been given just a one-time raise in their pension and the government has maliciously termed this raise as One Rank One Pension. The Prime Minister has the utmost affection for the jawans but his colleagues and his subordinates (bureaucrats) seem to have misinformed him, resulting in him repeatedly telling a lie to the nation about granting of the One Rank One pension to the faujis. 


The veterans feel let down at this sellout. Surely they are not foolish enough to continue to agitate  if the OROP had been granted. The number of veterans sitting at the Jantar Mantar for the past one year and nine months, without break, asking for their promised One Rank One Pension is increasing day by day. 


It is not merely the unkept promise  by the Prime Minister to the faujis. Modi, a world-class statesman and the head of the government is repeatedly misinforming the country at the cost of serving and retired soldiers just to convince the larger electorate — the civilians— about his good governance. 
In 2014, the General gave a call to the serving and the retired soldiers and all responded. They always do. Come 2019, and the General will again give a call but that time the narrative may not be the same as it was in 2014.
































Tuesday, March 28, 2017

OROP : At OROP Protest Venue, Police Prevent Ex-Soldier's Attempt To Commit Suicide

SOURCE:
http://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/at-orop-protest-venue-police-prevent-ex-soldiers-attempt-to-commit-suicide/298348


27 MARCH 2017

At OROP Protest Venue, Police Prevent Ex-Soldier's Attempt To Commit Suicide

He was stopped by the authorities present and it is unclear whether he managed to ingest some of it.












Protesting against the government over OROP, an ex-serviceman from the ‘Sabka Sainik Sangharsh Samiti’ today allegedly tried to commit suicide by downing white liquid he carried to the protest venue. He was stopped by police personnel and members of the CRPF.
The organization has been protesting against the government and specifically over ‘One Rank One Pension’. This group of ex-servicemen had planned on marching to India Gate from Jantar Mantar and committing mass suicide today


Intelligence agencies had got wind of their plan and the police had picketed them to keep a better watch on them at Jantar Mantar.

As the protestors started their march to India Gate, the police asked them to step back and it then that one of them tried to consume a white liquid from a bottle.

He was stopped by the authorities present and it is unclear whether he managed to ingest some of it. In the melee, the liquid splashed over the security personnel who foiled the attempt.
Following the incident,  security personnel rounded them up and they were taken into preventive custody and away in a Delhi Police van. 
The organisation’s members have hit the headlines before. In December last year, reports mentioned that a group of four veterans had climbed atop a water tower in Delhi and threatened suicide. They reportedly met Defence Ministry officials later and apprised them of their woes.
























Thursday, March 2, 2017

MEETING WITH RM ON 1 MARCH 2017

SOURCE:  FACEBOOK



   Facebook
 
   
   
 
Anil Kaul posted in Indian Ex Servicemen Movement.
 
   
Anil Kaul
March 2 at 9:17pm
 
From: "jaspal bhinder" <bhinderjs@gmail.com>

Date: 2 Mar 2017 12:58

Subject: Re: MEETING WITH RM ON 1
MARCH 2017




On Thu, Mar 2, 2017 at 10:12 AM,

DIWAVE Disabled war Veterans

<diwave1@gmail.com> wrote:

At the outset, may I remind the otherwise Impatient Veterans that they need to have patience when dealing with the ministry. A lesson I have learnt and which is paying dividends. Many of you may not agree with me. The attitude under the present RM and his staff, in my opinion, is to try and facilitate and implement our suggestions/requests if found reasonable and within the framework of rules. It is our task to prove that.


Yesterday we, Capt N K Mahajan and I, met the RM at his office at 2.50 PM to release the first magazine issued by "Disabled War Veterans (India) for distribution to all War Disabled. The effort in collating the information in regards entitlements etc and work already completed was entirely that of Capt N K Mahajan. The magazine is in English and Hindi. DIWAVE thank him for his efforts.

The meeting was attended by IESL and AFA league besides the Minister of State for Defence, Financial Advisor MoD, CGDA and all officials including serving senior officers. 


Now the issues on which the RM are given below: 

​1. Counting of full service of rank as qualifying service (without any reduction for shortfall in actual ​service) for war injury pension. 
The RM took the details of the special dispensation accorded in 1972 and the FADS agreed to our contention. He instructed the Secy ESW and CGDA to take note. We informed him of the reduction based on circular 555 for which he declared that no reduction in pension could be made. CGDA took note. 

2. OROP orders 


However as regards the OROP issue, since it was a political one, he indicated that he would issue orders based on Judicial Commission only after 15 March 2017. 

3. Disability Pensions and Broad Banding 

The RM indicated that disability pensions will be on percentage basis together with broad banding and these orders will be issued together with balance of 7CPC orders. 

4. DGL of pension revision to include disability pension in the same circular for pension revision. 
The issue of consultation prior to issue of orders by relevant authority to avoid any anomaly in future has been agreed to. 

5. Issue of corrigendum PPO's and e-PPO's 
The issue had been brought up by AFA league earlier and this was discussed in detail with AG informing the RM that it required complete change in the software. It would be a long haul and might take upto over six months. It was suggested that the effort may be subcontracted to an IT firm. This proposal was seriously considered and RM indicated that it was something that needed to be initiated. Secy ESW took note. 

6. Empanelment of Ottobock and Endolite prosthesis centre under ECHS
 
The orders for the same have been finalised with rates approved for each fitting. The financial approval has been cleared and the orders by MD ECHS should be issued very shortly. 

7. Payment of Fixed Medical Allowance (FMA) 

The RM is in acceptance of the idea proposed and awaited the final proposal by MD ECHS 

8. Similar Entitlement of ward in CGHS and ECHS beneficiaries in empanelled hospital 
The RM accorded approval for this proposal. 

9. Enhancement of pension of widows of war disabled invalided out war veterans 
The RM accepted the proposal and the AG was informed. Final decision will be taken shortly. 

10. IESL took up following issues of which some decisions were accorded: 

a) The adding of weightage towards pensions of JCO's and OR's as previously accorded in 6th Pay Commision. 

RM agreed to the proposal and informed Secy ESW and CGDA to take note. 

b) The pension of Hony JCO's 

IESL intimated that some Hony JCO's who received the honour after retirement were not receiving pensions of the rank whereas their contemporaries did. The RM after hearing them intimated that the date of honorary rank will not be the date of announcement but date approved. Also honorary ranks should be conferred at least two years prior to retirement to avoid this anomaly reoccurring. 

c) MSP increase for JCO's and Other Ranks 
IESL raised the issue of the MSP of the lower ranks and RM requested AG for his proposal within a week. 

d) NFU 

IESL raised the issue of NFU and RM took note of the same for action. 

The RM also indicated to those present that final orders of 7CPC had not been received and the pensions presently ordered may be revised upwards. Other entitlements done away by 7CPC are also under review and we should await the result. 

Not wishing to tread on the efforts of IESL and AFA League, I have mostly dealt on the issues of War Disabled and some issues spoken about in my capacity of attending the meeting. 

​Col H N Handa​ 
​President​ 
Disabled War Veteran's (India) 
C6-18/1 Safdarjung Development Area, 
Behind Haus Khas Telephone Exchange, 
New Delhi 110016 
Tele: 011-41315492 
Fax: 011-41315492/0124-4051572 
Mob: +919811920190/+919811199367 
Mail: diwave1@gmail.com 
website: www.diwave.org

Thursday, January 5, 2017

OROP :General Bipin Rawat Appeals Army Veterans to call off OROP Protest

SOURCE:
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/general-bipin-rawat-appeals-army-veterans-to-call-off-protest-over-orop-117010301282_1.html



General Bipin Rawat Appeals Army Veterans

             to call off 

           OROP Protest





He adds that demands related to OROP 

have been fulfilled up to certain extent  


    [ General  in  'INDIAN POLITICAL' 

context "certain extent" is a vauge term. ]



ANI  |  New Delhi 


Newly appointed Chief of Army Staff General 
on Tuesday appealed the army veterans to call off their protest over One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme while stating that government is trying its best to provide full assistance to them.

"I would like to appeal our veterans who are sitting on a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar to go back to their home. The government is mulling over the issue and trying to give our veterans full assistance," General Rawat told ANI.

"As far as the is concerned, our army chief veterans and ex-servicemen would have felt that the kind of assistance that they were expecting was not given. But I would like to say that our demand has been fulfilled to a certain extent," he added.

Highlighting the initiatives taken by the Defence Ministry, Union Defence Minister earlier in the day said that around 99 per cent of the eligible cases under the will be settled by January 2017, adding that around 13,000 cases are sent to pension disbursement authorities.

Speaking at the Ministry of Defence's 'Swachhta Pakhwada' event, Parrikar further said that during last two and a half years, the ministry through ex-servicemen cell has been able to settle many of the issues.

"is one of the important issues. So far we have already paid the pension on the first or second week of January. These cases should be in total finality, 13000 cases are sent to pension disbursement authorities. Almost 99 percent of the eligible cases will be settled probably by January, one percent is settled yet as we are trying to trace them," Parrikar said.

The scheme, announced in September 2015, is meant to ensure equal pension to servicemen who retired on the same rank and after the same duration of service, regardless of the year of retirement.

However, retired soldiers have been alleging [?!!?} that the government has not addressed their concerns fully about the disparity in pension payments.



One Rank One Pension: Important Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) with model calculation by PCDA (Pension)


 Enhanced Rate of Ordinary Family Pension i.r.o. Pre 2006 Armed Forces family pensioners - Table of Enhanced Pension


 Daul Family Pension - Continuance to Disabled Children after their marriage and withholding of 10% Gratuity: PCDA Circular No. 106



























Friday, December 23, 2016

AFT allows petition seeking NFU for defence officers

SOURCE:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/aft-allows-petition-seeking-nfu-for-defence-officers-at-par-with-group-a-services-4441872/


AFT allows petition seeking NFU for defence officers

           at

par with Group ‘A’ services

                                                  by 
                   Man Aman Singh Chhina





December 23, 2016 6:30 pm




The petitioner had contended that the morale of 

officers of the armed forces has been lowered by

 the government by non-grant of the NFU and 

thus lowering the established status of the armed 

forces officers since independence.







The bench comprising the officiating chairperson of the AFT, Justic BP Katakey and Lt Gen Sanjiv Langer today delivered the judgement on the petition which had been reserved some weeks back.





In a verdict, which meets the long-standing demand of thousands of defence services officers, the principal bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) in New Delhi has allowed a petition demanding Non-Functional Upgradation (NFU) for defence officers on the pattern of civil services officers of Group ‘A’ services. The bench comprising the officiating chairperson of the AFT, Justic BP Katakey and Lt Gen Sanjiv Langer today delivered the judgement on the petition which had been reserved some weeks back. Col Mukul Dev of the Army’s Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Branch was the principal petitioner in the case which also has around 500 serving Army officers as co-petitioners.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Col Rajiv Manglik (retd) advocate for the petitioners said, “NFU been allowed as given to defence officers on the pattern of civilian officers as given by the 6th Pay Commission and it will be applicable for all three services-Army, Navy and the Air Force. It has also been stated if NFU is implemented for civilians in 7th Pay Commission it will be given to armed forces officers also. The advocate also said that the bench has allowed arrears for NFU for a period not exceeding three years from the date of the judgement. “The AFT has also denied the leave to appeal in the Supreme Court to the respondents ie. the Union of India,” said Col Manglik.
The petitioner had contended that the morale of officers of the armed forces has been lowered by the government by non-grant of the NFU and thus lowering the established status of the armed forces officers since independence. 

He had also argued that the stagnation in the armed forces is more acute than the civil services and that the denial is in clear violation of Article 14 and 16 of the Constitution “as the equals since independence have been made unequals”.

It was also argued that the purpose of grant of NFU is not to equate the monetary benefits or earnings enjoyed by a particular service, but it is granted with the aim to remove the stagnation due to the acute shortage of vacancies and grant parity of promotional avenues within the IAS with stipulated lead of two years to the IAS.
The petitioner had said that the parity established since independence and upheld by the pay commissions in succession between the armed forces and the All India Services/ Group ‘A’ services and IPS in particular has been disturbed and the petitioner has been deprived of the benefits extended to his counter parts in parity in the civil services.
It had been contended that the armed forces officers cadre meets all the attributes attached to the Group ‘A’ organised service. The petition says that the NFU has been denied on the pretext that Military Service Pay (MSP) has been given to armed forces officers. Citing this as a “gross mis-concept” the petition said that the grant of NFU is to alleviate the acute stagnation in service, whereas the MSP and other allowances is due to the postings at various difficult terrain and living conditions.
It was also pointed out that there are a number of Group ‘A’ services, which do not meet all the criteria for the group, yet they have been awarded NFU. The services mentioned are Indian Legal Service and Indian Trade Service, Indian Statistical service, Indian Economic service and Central Information service.
What is NFU?
Non Functional Upgrade (NFU) entitles an IAS officer and other Group ‘A’ services officers of the civil services to get the pay scale of the highest promoted officer of their batch even if he or she is not promoted to the same rank. This higher grade is given two years after the batchmate achieves the promotion. 

The aim of giving NFU is to alleviate the stagnation in the service due to non-promotion. Due to the steep pyramid of promotion in armed forces hierarchy, a large number of officers do not make it to the next selection rank. However, NFU has not been made applicable to armed forces. The Delhi High Court in its recent judgement has held that NFU is also applicable to officers of the central paramilitary forces.