One-rank, one-pay pension scheme for ex-servicemen

[Rage]

Centre working on next-best option to one-rank, one-pay

26 Jun 2009, 0443 hrs IST, TNN

NEW DELHI: The government seems all set to upwardly revise pension of ex-servicemen to bring them closer to the long-demanded ‘‘one-rank, one-pension’’ mechanism.

Though holding that full OROP is neither financially nor administratively possible, the government promises to resolve the existing anomalies in the pension structures of ex-servicemen which have been accentuated by the 6th Pay Commission.

On Thursday, cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar, who heads the committee of secretaries (CoS) looking into the issue, made a presentation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He is also said to have discussed the pros and cons of granting the OROP demand based on the nearly two-month study that the committee carried out on the subject.

Others present during the presentation included finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, defence minister A K Antony, home minister P Chidambaram and minister of state (personnel) Prithviraj Chavan. The UPA government has already committed itself to taking a decision on the subject by the end of June in President Pratibha Patil’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament on June 4.

Just before the crucial fourth phase of polling on May 7, the defence ministry had declared that a committee headed by the cabinet secretary had been constituted to ‘‘reduce the gap in the pensionary benefits to officers and jawans, bringing it as close to OROP as possible’’.


Centre working on next-best option to one-rank, one-pay - India - The Times of India

 

[Zebra]

Broad approval for one rank, one pension scheme

Vinay Kumar, NEW DELHI, September 24, 2012

Bowing to the long-standing demand of ex-servicemen for one rank, one pension (OROP) and other benefits, the Union Cabinet on Monday broadly approved the scheme and also gave its nod for enhancement of family pension and dual family pension that will cost the government about Rs. 2300 crore annually.

The Cabinet, which met here under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, also approved the grant of family pension to mentally and physically challenged children of armed forces personnel. The decisions on pension issues of ex-servicemen may be implemented from a prospective date and payment made accordingly, an official release said ......

full story: The Hindu : News / National : Broad approval for one rank, one pension scheme

 

[sob]

From the TV interviews of retired Army officers , it seems that this is only a small part accepted by the Government. There is still a long way to go.

But we can accept many such announcements like this and the DA hike in the coming months. It is all leading up to elections sometimes in the mid 2013.

 

[Ray]

Another fraud perpetuated by the Govt.

Indeed a deceitful Govt which cannot be trusted as to what it says.

It is not One Rank One pay at all.

It is No Rank, All Fraud as usual!

Today's news indicates it has been a total fraud.

********************************

Here, otherwise is the perspective.

Forces seek pay panel representation

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
New Delhi , Aug. 1: The chiefs of the armed forces have urged the government to include their representative in a high-powered committee appointed by the Prime Minister to sort out anomalies in pay and allowances.

The chairperson of chiefs of staff committee and navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma also met the cabinet secretary Ajit Seth today.

The forces have pointed out, among other issues, that civilian officers draw allowances that are more than that of uniformed officers.

Manmohan Singh formed a committee on July 16 headed by the cabinet secretary and five other Union secretaries after defence minister A.K. Antony wrote to the Prime Minister saying discontent was intensifying in the armed forces because anomalies in the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission were not addressed.

The Prime Minister has set an August 8 deadline for the report of the committee, raising hopes in the armed forces that an announcement would be made on August 15.

All members of the committee are from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) even though they will decide the allowances and salaries of nearly 1.5 million serving armed forces personnel from the rank of lieutenant general (and equivalent) to a havildar (jawan). The committee will also address the issue of revising the pensions of nearly 21 lakh retired soldiers.

The three services' chiefs have written separately to defence minister Antony.

The services have pointed out that the steep hierarchies in the armed forces make it difficult to assure secure allowances for their officers and soldiers that are comparable with those of other government employees.

For example, government officers serve till the age of 60 years (62 years if appointed Union secretary) but in the armed forces' a colonel-rank officer must retire by the age of 52 unless he/she is promoted. Officers who do not reach that rank have to retire even younger. Among personnel below officer rank, the retirement age is even lesser.

The armed forces identified 39 anomalies in the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission, of which they have suggested that the committee examines five:

Extension of Higher Administrative Grade + (HAG plus) scale to all officers of three-star rank (lieutenant generals, vice admirals and air marshals)

Grant of Non Functional Upgradation allowance. The NFU allowance is meant for Group 'A' government officers. It is granted to all officers of the same batch if one among their number is promoted to a higher grade. For example, if an IAS officer of the 1992 batch is appointed as joint secretary then all officers of the batch would be given the pay and allowances he/she draws. This allowance is not granted to armed forces' officers.

One rank one pension for ex-servicemen

Common payscales for junior commissioned officers (JCOs) and other ranks (ORs)

Correction of differences in the rank pay of commissioned officers.

Forces seek pay panel representation

 

[Ray]

Soldiers let down by new pension plan
Veterans write to PM


New Delhi, Sept. 25: Serving and retired military officers were today working out the impact of the government's claim that it has substantially hiked pensions but were left mostly feeling short-changed.

The impact on an individual officer's pay and allowances was still being calculated because the government has said the cabinet sops announced on Monday will not be with retrospective effect.

The main demand of the armed forces has been "one rank one pension" (OROP) — meaning the same amount of pension for veterans who retired at the same rank irrespective of the time-span in which they have served.

Military personnel are peeved that a committee of secretaries, appointed by the Prime Minister before the cabinet announcement, did not include a representative of the armed forces despite pleas from service chiefs.

Major General (retired) Satbir Singh, the vice-chairman of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement, the forum of veterans, wrote to the Prime Minister on "misleading announcement by the government" on OROP.

The government's announcement was met with a lot of relief, said Singh. "However, this sense of relief was shortlived and the details of the decision unfolded and our fears have come true." He said the government had not accepted the definition of OROP as stated by military personnel.

He wrote that personnel who retired below officer rank, such as a sepoy, a naik and havildar, had been given an increase of only Rs 400 per month. A sepoy who retired before 2006 would still draw a pension Rs 4,000 less than a soldier of the same rank who retires in December this year.

"This, we feel, is primarily due to non-inclusion of members from defence personnel in the committee headed by the cabinet secretary, a request which the three chiefs made to the defence minister but was not accepted," Singh wrote.

Soldiers let down by new pension plan

 

[Ray]

It is an incorrect idea that one is getting subsidised Canteen facilities.

The Armed Forces pays all the taxes applicable including VAT.

It is cheap compared to the market is because there is No Dealer, Wholesaler or Retailer who get their share of the profits.

It is directly from the manufacturer to the CSD and then directly to the Unit CSD.

In as far as Medical facilities is concerned, it is a part of Service Agreements. That apart, every officer, JCO, NCO or OR pays a lumpsum to the ECHS on retirement. The sum is as per the rank and pay last held.

So, there is NO Free Lunches!

I believe ex servicemen can also avail of payment rations from the Army. However, most don't care since the rations are not fit for even animal feed!

 

[Ray]

One does not mind what pension one gets.

One will still try to make good within that.

But lies to fool the ex servicemen and the Nation is most despicable and is downright that adopted by guttersnipes.

The present Govt is such an example.

Only slogans like Aam Admi and then slit the neck and so it is doing the same with the ex servicemen.

And the irony is that these people in Government are getting rich with various scams and none can do a thing about that!

 

[Singh]

One Rank One Pension - a big joke on ex-servicemen?​

By Col RP Chaturvedi

As expected, the OROP story turned out to be a GOI joke. Not for the first time, has GOI spread canards, to slow down the Veteran momentum of demands, and package implementation of court orders to pass off as OROP. So that the citizenry can wonder 'Ab aur kya Chahiye Fajiyon ko?'.

Sad state of affairs when your own establishment treats you as though you belonged to the other side of the border.

This was contested in court and a verdict given in favor of the pensioners. The current hullaballoo is over this being implemented. Its not OROP. Not even Modified Parity.

Read below for what the Rs 2300 crore is all about. Its just removal of an anomaly that was created by babudom, to a sanction by the Sixth Pay Commission.

Read below for what the Rs 2300 crore is all about. Its just removal of an anomaly that was created by babudom, to a sanction by the Sixth Pay Commission.

Ranks are a peculiar feature of Services. While time bound increase in salary are a part of the Civil lexicon. The sixth pay commission grouped MANY ranks into bands. Pay Band 4 for instance includes ranks from Lt Col to Maj Gen. Pension was to be fixed at Bottom of the individual's pay IN the pay band (ie minimum of pay of rank), which was changed to OF the pay band in implementing instructions (Meaning Minimum OF the pay band, ie Pay Band 4 in example above), at MOD. As consequence, all persons in PB 4 started getting same pension corresponding to the Bottom of the Pay Band 4. This was contested in court and a verdict given in favor of the pensioners. The current hullaballoo is over this being implemented. Its not OROP. Not even Modified Parity.

Its sadly usual for Government to do such manipulations to grants by the Pay commissions, to the disadvantage of faujis. Rank Pay is a case in point, which was granted by 4th Pay Commission-1986, was tinkered by babus. Now this. In between, it would be recalled that implementation of court ruling in the case of Pre 96 Veterans, was announced as OROP, during 2009, and not implemented for one whole year till the PM wrongly announced in 2010 that it had been paid out. Held for misstating facts, this was then implemented within three days!!

And all the time the effort is to call it OROP granted, to confuse everyone. Perhaps slow down the momentum for Veteran demands.

Playing games with faujis all the time can't be an accidental coincidence. It has to be a Design. Which is extremely mean on part of Babudom. Demotivating for the Military, it makes Defence Services a Low Priority career choice, and weakens the fabric of our national security.

One Rank One Pension – a big joke on ex-servicemen? » Indian Defence Review

 

[Ray]

apparently the politicians and babus are people who attended their parents' wedding!

 

[cobra commando]

NEW DELHI: Defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday assured the ex-servicemen of early implementation of the one rank-one pension scheme, saying his ministry has fast-tracked the work on it. The assurance came when a 27- member delegation of the ex- servicemen called on Parrikar at Kota House here, his residence for the time-being. A rally was also held here by the ex-servicemen, seeking early implementation of the scheme. Defence sources said Parrikar assured the ex-servicemen of rolling it out at the earliest. He said he is working hard on it and the ministry will send its views to the finance ministry by February 17.
Parrikar underlined that there are lot of calculations and complications involved and he is working towards solving them. "I will do my work," he was quoted as telling the delegation. Maj Gen Satbir Singh (retired), chairman of Indian Ex-Service Movement, said the meeting with Parrikar was "positive".
He said that the minister has given assurances to the delegation on four major issues relating to the scheme, including "getting approval from the finance ministry before the Budget this month". One rank-one pension scheme has been a long-standing demand of the over 2 million ex-servicemen in the country. It seeks to ensure that a uniform pension is paid to defence personnel who retire at the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement.

One rank-one pension scheme to be rolled out soon, Manohar Parrikar says - The Times of India

 

[arnabmit]