Feel free to contribute on burning issues concerning the armed forces. Contributions would be acknowledged - Use the 'Comments' tab or email navdeepsingh.india[at]gmail.com. No operational/business/commercial matters to be discussed please. Legal advice/litigation related issues would strictly NOT be published or discussed or entertained. Information on this blog is opinion based and is neither official nor in the form of an advice. This is a pro bono online journal in public service related to issues, policies and benefits, and the idea behind it is to educate and not to create controversy or to incite. Be soft in your language, respect Copyrights.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Q & A (10)

Readers may send in their Questions through email for a Q & A session with ‘Q&A’ as the subject. For rules, please read this post.

My sister who is in receipt of ordinary family pension is only getting Rs 1275 basic pension from the bank, is it the correct figure ? (Ex-JWO Harwant Singh)

No, not at all. The minimum pension in all central govt services has been raised to Rs 3500 per month. You may complain about the same to the PCDA(P) with a copy to the bank.

The medical board had granted me a disability of 40% but my PPO has been issued for a disability pension at the rate of 30%. Can the authorities reduce my disability percentage as was provided by the release medical board (Col ABC)

No. Hon’ble Courts have time and again held that administrative bodies cannot decrease the percentage of disability awarded by a medical board. You may take up the matter accordingly.

I was given 20% disability for a fracture and 30% for hypertension but the release medical board has granted me 40% composite disability for both disabilities combined. I am told that granting of composite disabilities is allowed, what is the correct position, can I file a case against this if this has been done illegally ? (Sqn Ldr T singh)

Grant of reduced composite disability percentage is authorised when there is a link between the two disabilities which overlap as far as the functional capability is concerned. As far as my limited understanding goes, there is no link between a fracture and hypertension and hence the medical board should have ideally granted you 50% disability. As far as filing of a case is concerned, one should never jump the gun and unnecessarily burden the dockets of Courts and Tribunals. You may like to take it up with the appellate authority or point it out to the Personnel Branch of your service and in all probability the issue would be sorted out departmentally. Approaching Courts should always be the last resort.

I have been told that toll tax exemption to retired gallantry awardees on National Highways has been withdrawn, is it true ? (Brig Kedar Nath)

All new notifications being issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways contain a stipulation that gallantry awardees shall remain exempted from payment of toll on Highways under the NHAI, hence no need to worry on that account.

Out of curiosity, I wanted some information about my grandfather’s service in World War II but the Record Office has replied that all documents related to my grandfather have been destroyed on completion of retention period according to rules, what is the way out now ? (Ashok Kumar)

You can still obtain information which is available on the ‘Long Roll’ maintained with the Records Office. You may write to them for a photocopy of the long roll and you are surely to get some basic interesting information including date of enrolment, date of discharge, reason of discharge etc.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

1.any news on executive orders on rank pay issue for all similerly placed officers ( Major Gopalan case) ?
2.Any orders for broadbanding /clubbing disability pension for pre 1-1-06 pensioners who retired on superannuation ?
3.Any orders on improving disability pension for pre 1-1-06 pensioners on percentage basis ?

Harry said...

@ Anony above

Sir,

Sorry NOTHING TO REPORT so far! We all can keep twiddling our fingers :(

Anonymous said...

Promotion Prospects for PBOR



Government has not restricted promotion opportunities for the Personnel Below Officers Rank (PBOR) in the Armed Forces. The Government has, in fact, improved the career prospects by approving grant of three Assured Career Progression (ACP) to PBOR at 8, 16 and 24 years of service as against three Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme (MACPs) for the Central Government Civilian Employees at 10, 20 and 30 years of regular service. At the time of each financial upgradation under ACP, the PBOR would get an additional increment and next higher Grade Pay in hierarchy.



Army: PBORs (including Jawans) are eligible for grant of commissioning into Officer Cadres through various In Service entries i.e. Army Cadet College (ACC) / Special Commissioned Officers (SCO) / Permanent Commission Officers (Special List) [PC(SL)].

Navy: Adequate promotion avenues exist through time based, roster based and selective promotion for sailors. Promotion upto the rank of Leading Seaman/equivalent for non-Artificers and upto the rank of Artificer 3rd class for artificers are time based. Roster based and selective promotions are for higher ranks against the available / anticipated vacancies. Promotion avenues also exist for sailors to be promoted to officer rank through the Commission Worthy Scheme and the Special Duty List Scheme.

Air Force: A PBOR during his service career can be promoted upto the rank of Master warrant Officer (MWO) subject to fulfilling eligibility criteria and availability of vacancies.

Number of PBORs including Jawans promoted to Senior Officers post in the three services of the Armed Forces during the last three years is as under:

Year
Army*
Air Force
Navy

Commission Worthy Scheme
Special Duty List Scheme

2007
159
94
54
82

2008
139
64

2009
205
59


* Excluding Army Medical Corps and Army Dental Corps



Government proposes to review the promotion policy for PBOR to ensure greater opportunities for PBORs. In the Army, review of the promotion policy for PBOR is under process to ensure better opportunities. A cadre review for the PBOR has been ordered in May 2009. The Navy is also working on a proposal for cadre restructuring of sailors, which would enhance their promotional avenues.



This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Arjun Ray in Lok Sabha today

Anonymous said...

Dear Navdeep,
Now that writing a WILL and registering it has become mandatory for the Army Offrs,could you guide us in evolving a flexible format for writing the Will ,under which all heads the same has to be made for Offrs and PBORs in my Bn.
rgds
2IC

Anonymous said...

Ref RM reply on Promotion Prospects for PBOR.

The simplest equivalence would be the clerical cadre. A Spr/Nk/Hav is equal to LDC and Nb Sub/Sub/Sub Maj equal to UDC. The ACP therefore is Nk, Hav & Nb/Sub in the ACP whereas in the DACP it is UDC,Asst & Section officer.

So much so for "names" and improvement in career prospects of PBOR approved by the govt.
I am hopeful that navdeep would elaborate.

Anonymous said...

One comment on this blog was
" Its time that a case was made for Lt Cols to be advanced to GP8900, while Colonels are sent to GP10000! 1994 batch IAS, IDAS, IAAS are already at GP10000. Why shouldnt colonels be in GP10000? A strong case should be made, and this malpractice of linking army ranks to police be stopped!"

And to think that the Navy hasn't yet considered officers commisioned in 1989 for promotion to Captain ( Col eqvt).

Can Navdeep throw some light on this matter; is it the Govt preventing or delaying promotion to Col (eqvt) to 21 yrs instead of the stated 15 yrs or is it the Services.
Also would be obliged if u print my comments and not leave them out.

Anonymous said...

What doc would be needed to show at a toll booth for the exemption please ?

Anonymous said...

If Assured Career Progression is applied in the central government jobs, why the same is not applicabel in case of RBI and NABARD. Both these institutions are of CGs. They do not follow the rules. DGR may see the matter in case of exservicemen who joined in these institution should at least get a minimum promotion to earn better pension. Will you kindly look into the case and advise. Thank you Sir.

OneTopic at a time said...

Dear Fellow Readers,

C.B. Menon, a retired IAF officer, sent me an email from Secretary RDOA that the UoI through the Solicitor General of India has approached the Supreme Court for modifying/re-hearing/nullifying the award by the Bench of Justice Katju and Justice Lodha.
Am sure Maj Navdeep can enlighten us more

Unknown said...

State pensions devised after the second world war were calculated to pay out for about two years after retirement! Retired pensioners now survive over 20 years after the retirement age.
pension service

Ashwani said...

What steps be taken to make the PCDA(O) admit our legitimate claims? Have written to them thrice over the last two months and have not received any reply from them till date. Now have written to the PCDA directly. Can we take the recourse of taking any action under the RTI Act?

Maj Pratik Gupta said...

Queries for housing loan from AGIF
I wanted to know the procedure and rules of getting a house loan from AGIF.I have a car loan of 4 lacs for 8 years from AGIF...running on the 3rd year.I am short service commissioned officer...and on an extension of service.I have not yet got permanent commissioning.So am I entitled to avail the housing loan from the AGIF?