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Friday, December 12, 2008

Great, now CDA authorities goof up and they goof up well – they send incorrect pension tables to banks !!?!!

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Don’t ask me how this happened. Don’t even try to rack your brain; you’ll come to a big nought.

Govt of India, Ministry of Defence, had issued the pension sanction letter for pre-2006 pensioners on 11 November 2008. The said Govt letter covered both PBOR as well as officers. Pension fixation tables based on old basic pension and rank were also enclosed with this letter. As we all know by now, basic pension is either to be fixed by

Multiplying the old basic pension by 2.26

OR

@ 50% of lower end of pay band + Grade Pay + MSP

whichever of the two is higher.

An annexure (Annexure-II) was also enclosed with the letter dated 11 Nov 08 which detailed the calculation based on the second option for different ranks. By way of the second option, the pension of Major Generals and Lt Generals was coming to be lower than that of Brigadiers (Rs 26150) since MSP is not admissible to Maj Gens and Lt Gens. As a result, the pension for Maj Gens and Lt Gens was also stepped up to Brig level because as per policy, senior ranks cannot be placed in lower pension grades than a junior rank. Consequently, as per Annexure-II of the letter, the pensions for the ranks of Brig, Maj Gen and Lt Gen were all placed at Rs 26150 and the same was correctly reflected in Annexure-II of the Govt letter.

The Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions) or PCDA(P) in short, has also floated detailed guidelines to all banks across India alongwith the said Govt letter dated 11 Nov 2008 but surprisingly, the Annexure-II attached with the said letter in the PCDA(P) circular is different than the one released by the Govt. Same letter but different pension scales !!

To take an example, in Annexure-II of the Govt letter dated 11 Nov 2008, the pension of Brigs, Maj Gens and Lt Gens is mentioned as Rs 26150 after completion of 28+ years of service. However it is mentioned as Rs 26150 for Brig but Rs 24566 for Maj Gen and Lt Gen in the same Annexure-II of the same Govt letter dated 11 Nov 2008 forwarded by PCDA(P) to banks. There are many other inconsistencies too.

You don’t believe me : Click here to have a look at this. The table on the top is the one enclosed with the actual govt letter and the table on the bottom is the table of the same govt letter floated to banks with a covering circular from the PCDA(P).

You still don’t believe me. OK, then download the pre-2006 pensioners Govt Letter No 17(4)/2008(1)/D(Pen/Policy) Dated 11 November 2008 from the official Ministry of Defence website at http://mod.nic.in/6thCPC/6thCPC-Index.htm and then download the same letter from the PCDA(P) website at http://www.pcdapension.nic.in/6cpc/default.htm

Now compare the two and take a look at Annexure-II at Page 93, can you spot the difference ?

And again, please don’t ask me how this happened ! I have no explanation whatsoever. Do not also ask me as to what happened to the direction of Govt of India vide Para 22 of the letter which ordained 'immediate' and 'expeditious' payment to pensioners. Of course all this is not deliberate, but lack of application of mind or lack of coordination, whatever, take your pick !

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16 comments:

Anonymous said...

There is only one explanation for this. THERE IS JUST NO GOVERNANCE. Each and every part of the system is doing what that part deems fit. This seems particularly so in the context of Armed Forces. There is no other way this can be explained. We have seen this in the entire exercise named 6th CPC. Right from the preparation of the infamous tables of page 73 of 6th CPC report, to CoS exceeding their brief by making CPOs senior to armed forces by introducing HAG+. The list is endless.

It is really difficult to make out whether we are living in a democracy or a proxy dictatorship. Anybody who can make out the difference, please do enlighten.

Anonymous said...

Dear Navdeep,

I appreciate you insisiting the goof up is not deleberate but there can not be any other reason for a deliberate mischief.

When the table in GoI, MoD is issued it is vetted by the MoD Finance. In fact the Financial tables would have been worked out by them.

Now who is CDA (pensions) to work it out again and exhibit his fianacial wizardy rather than financial wisdom. If the action is resulting in wrongfull loss to so many people, it can not be termed as oversight. It is an act of criminal intent.

Your honourable RM can do F*** all to that Babu. These guys are thoroughly mischivious pretending to be incompetent.

What casn one say when your own people are burning your house....

God save the Country from these Babus...

Anonymous said...

Another il in the coffin.

Navdeep / Maj Navdeep Singh said...

@Anony at 7.25

This is not deliberate.
Probably a table may have been prepared by the MoD which may have been ultimately amended. Due to some error, the table which was earlier under deliberation may have been conveyed to PCDA(P)alongwith that letter. The issue however is that the govt machinery should be more careful in handling such things. The final letter with the correct tables was issued on 11 Nov 08 while it was forwarded with a circular to banks on 05 Dec 08 by PCDA(P) - enough time to make amends.

Anonymous said...

any idea if NPA is also being considered in pension after 6th cpc for medical officers who have retired pre 2006? thx

digvijay said...

If this is how things are working than I wouldnt be surprised when one day group of people may take things in their own hand & go ahead with what they think is correct , that would be a sad day -refecting how a simple democracy can BE TURNED INTO NAXAL DEMOCRACY, THIS IS THE GENISIS OF THE NAXAL MOVEMENT

Anonymous said...

The real issue is the lack of pension parity between pensioners (both civil & military) of the same rank who have retired on different dates.
See http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20081213/nation.htm#6
I think all pensioners should join hands to fight this in the court.
May be Maj Navdeep can throw light on this issue from a legal angle.I would also like to know what happened to the V Pay commission Maj Gen's pension issue

Anonymous said...

I brought it to the notice of the PCDA but there is no reaction on their part.We in the defence services are doomed to suffer because of the incompetence of the civil servants.

Anonymous said...

In the present scenario how do we fight the system. Are we not a part of the world's largest democrcy. Whether serving or retired how do we fight against the injustice meted out to us. It is ridiculous if somebody says what ever is happening is just coincidental and not intentional. The day is not very far the armed forces will be commanded by a Babu or a Neta as already one joint operations conducted under a Babu.

Fauji Brothers pl wake up. As some body had mentioned at another blog, the feasibility of taking legal action against the Babu cadre for misrepresenting the facts to the Govt needs to be explored.

Anonymous said...

The CGDA website at
http://cgda.nic.in/audit/pension_pre2006.pdf
contains the original GOI letter, though unsigned, & the pension shown for pre-2006 General rank officers is still(at least till 10 min ago) 26150. The PCDA website contains a circular, no.397 & dated 18.11.2008 forwarding the GOI letter dated 11.11.2008, & adressing the equivalence issues of ranks for different services. However, Annexure II is different from original & as contained in CGDA website.
There are 4 things wrong with this story.
1. Why did the PCDA issue the circular when he was not required to do so?
2. Under what authority did the PCDA change the contents of original letter?
3. How do CGDA & PCDA post two different versions of same GOI letter?
4. How can a higher ranked officer get less pension than a lower ranked one for same length of service? More so, when the footnotes to Annexure II mentions this as an anomaly.
MB Ghosh

OneTopic at a time said...

Major Navdeep,

Please don't hurt the soft-hearted and brained (oops) CDA types. They are waiting for New Year to commence the audit of the revised PPOs because Pay Fixation is also to be audited.

See how they keep the money so that PC oops again, PM can show less deficit in the Budget on vote.

And who is affected - us Armed Forces serving and retired types.

How come no comment on this?

PK Tyagi said...

I am quite confused as to what happened to the GOM set up by the PMO to resolve the problems of fixation of pay of Lt Col and Lt Gen rank officers and that of PBOR. What I read in various letters is that Lt Col will continue to get lesser pension as decided by the CPC, without the benefit of PB4 as contested by COS and the details given in the article here regarding Maj Gen and Lt Gen is quite clear in that they will get what a Brig will get.

I have also noted that a Lt Col (TS) retired after 2006 gets more that a Lt Col (SG) who retired before 2006.

Will some one elnlighten me on these two aspects?

Cdr Tyagi

Unknown said...

You are being magnanimous by assuming that this is not deliberate -- beaurocracy has never been fond of making changes to any letter --- they simply forward the same and in any case why should they work EXTRA to make changes --- however when it comes to the armed forces more often than not the letters get modified in a way which is detrimental to the forces.

This is deliberate -- who will now be responsible for the financial losses --- JUST TOO BAD FAUJIS CANT SPEAK THEIR MIND WHEN IN SERVICE --- and the (so called) beaurocracy (BABUS) feel they should not do so even after retirement -(remember the opposition to the ex-servicemen protest)

PLEASE KEEP UP THE GOOOOOOD JOB OF HIGHLIGHTING IMPORTANT ISSUES

Vinod Bisht said...

Thanks for putting all this info and keeping the bunch together, in-taking up issues which are rightfully theirs'.

I belong to group who hung their uniform between 1 jan 06 and Aug 08. Even in this group there is a small bunch of officers who retired before 33 yrs of service. Hence pension fixation for them was done based on rank and years done before moving out.

In 6 pay commision when for all ranks and service this clause is amended to 20 and 15 yrsyrs of service for Officers who retired during 1 jan 06 and Aug 08 , the status co was maintained.
Now that PBOR and not served till superannuation and retired during this period have also been inluded and given full pension.
In such a secnario only offr who took retirement during the period concerned and did not serve 33 yrs are the only one left out for full pension .
Need your advise as to how to go about it , so that this group is also included in the benefits given by cabinet , yet denied by dept of personnel.

Kumar said...

There is great amount of disparity in pension , commutation amount and gratuity in the same rank for those who have retired from 01 Jan 06 to 01 Sep 08 and those retired after 01 Sep 08 as per the GOI instructions. The pre 02 Sep 08 tends to loose sizable amount of money with this instruction. why this disparity? Anything happening to mitigate this..Pls throw some light who are affected or aware of it.

shyam bihari singh said...

CLARIFICATION ON REVISION OF PROVISIONS REGULATING GRATUITY FOR PBOR RETIRED/DISCHARGE/INVALIDED OUT OR DYING IN HARNESS ON OR, AFTER 1.1.1006
Dear Sir,

I would like to know clarification on the subject as above that, After 6th central pay commission under the provision of GOI, MOD letter No 17(4)2008(2)D/(Pen/policy) dt 05 Jun 2009, benefit of adding years of qualifying service for the purpose of computation of pension shall stand WITHDRAWN in respect in respect of PBOR discharged/invalided out from service with effect from 1.1.2006. For which Rs 46060/- (Rupees forty six thousands and sixty only) on account of difference of Gratuity (DCRG) has already been recovered vide corrigendum PPO No S/corr/323312/2009 (Army).

Now under the provision of GOI, MOD letter No 17(4)/2008(2)/D(Pen/pol)/Vol VII dt 04th Oct 2010, benefit of adding years of qualifying service for the purpose of computing Gratuity in respect of PBOR retiring or dying in harness on or after 1.1.2006 shall be RESTORED with effect from 1.1.2006.

It is , therefore, your are requested clarify that the recovered amount Rs 46060/- will be remitted by PCDA(P) through corrigendum PPO.

Thanks

Hony Sub Maj Shyam Bihari Singh (Retd)
email address - shyambiharisingh06@gmail.com