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Thursday, December 5, 2013

Is this a joke? Or is this the actual worth of a fauji?

Seriously, what is wrong with the Defence Ministry? What according to them is the worth of a fauji in this country?

As most readers would know, earlier there used to be a system of colour-reserve scheme of service wherein a person used to serve for a few years in colours (continuous physical service) and then reserves when he was free to follow any vocation but could be mobilised in times of an emergency.

According to the applicable rules, such personnel became entitled to ‘Reservist Pension’ after 15 years of combined colour and reserve service, irrespective of the length of colour service rendered.

Prior to the year 1968, although reservists were entitled to reservist pension on completion of minimum 15 years of combined colour and reserve service, an option was given to them by the govt to either opt for reservist pension which amounted to a few rupees per month OR for a one-time lumpsum gratuity amounting to a few hundred rupees. Despite being entitled for life-long pension under the rules, many of these reservists were encouraged to opt for lumpsum gratuity after which a certificate was taken from them that they shall forfeit the right to reservist pension.

Since such reservists realised much later in the day that they had in fact been cheated of their life-long pension in accordance with the rules since they had completed the minimum qualifying service for reservist pension, they took up a case with the Govt to undo the wrong. The Army HQ also supported the move strongly, and ultimately, in the year 2000, the Govt agreed to grant such reservists a monthly ex-gratia allowance at the rate of Rs 600 per month for such reservists who had completed their pensionable service but had only been released the one-time lumpsum gratuity but not reservist pension. In fact, before this was done, the Govt had already sanctioned an amount of Rs 605/- per month for the families of such reservists who had opted for the one-time amount and had subsequently passed away.

Since the amount of Rs 600 was initiated during the currency of the 5th Central Pay Commission when the minimum pension under the Govt was Rs 1275, many organisations again took up the case after the 6th Central Pay Commission to raise the amount to a logical figure with effect from 01 January 2006 and at least to the rate at which the minimum pension is grated to any govt employee.

Lo and behold, the Defence Ministry has agreed to the representations.

But what should shock your conscience is this:

The Defence Ministry, in the name of the President of India, has now increased the amount of the monthly ex-gratia and monthly family ex-gratia to the following rates with effect from 04 June 2013:

Monthly ex-gratia to reservists : Rs 750/- per month (Raised from Rs 600/- admissible earlier)

Monthly ex-gratia to families of deceased reservists: Rs 645/- per month (Raised from Rs 605/- admissible earlier)


In this time and age, do you think an old reservist who had been tacitly cheated of his pension in the 1950s and 1960s, could survive with a basic amount of Rs 750/- per month?

This is the value of a fauji in this country.

And by the way, the minimum amount of even compulsory retirement pension on the civil side is Rs 3500/- per month plus dearness relief.

Even proper Reservist Pension for reservists who did not opt for the one-time ‘lumpsum gratuity’ stands at Rs 3500/- per month plus dearness relief.

What else can one say except….Jai Hind!


12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jai Hind!!!!

Rajender said...

Navdeep Sir, I can feelthe fire in your blog in your latest post, keep it alive, this is encouraging for lot of ex fauji like me.

Ranjay said...

I Love You Bharat mata.....

Manuureet Singh said...

No, this is not a joke but truth. Unfortunately, in our country none cares for a serving or a retired fauji - even their very own Ministry, which the diktat of even a small babu is manifold.

Manuureet Singh said...

No, this is not a joke but truth. Unfortunately, in our country none cares for a serving or a retired fauji - even their very own Ministry, where the diktat of even a small babu is manifold.

Anonymous said...

Govt feels that fauji,like retired or old retirees are not of much use to them. May be the this reason to treat them like this. Like wise pre 1996 and pre 2006 are running to courts for justice. JOOR SEE BOLLO TEEN BAR. JAI HIND,JAI HIND,JAI HIND.

Anonymous said...

What else can one say except JAI HIND.
After reading such news,it actually depresses me so much that I fear accessing your blog again for at least a couple of weeks.

And to top it all ,as a soldier,the "danda" of Military intelligence catching upon you for supposedly interacting freely on public forms.

Major Navdeep only you can do something.

Thanks and regards
PS: let us know if we can publish our identities while interacting in such forums.
We have been drilled so much since training days that we have become fearful of everything,of course,except the enemy.

Lt Col B S Chaudhary said...

The babus of so called ESM Welfare MInistry have once again demonstrated that they work in a mechanical manner without application of mind.It is a pity that basic logic has been ignored while calculating and revising the monthly ex gratia allowance for the reservists who out of ignorance could not opt for reservist pension which had been pegged at Rs. 3500/- per month after 01/01/2006.It may be seen that minimum service pension after 5th CPC was kept at Rs. 1275/- plus dearness relief. During this period non reservist pension optees were given Rs. 600/- as ex gratia allowance. It is indeed irony that people at the helm of affairs in the ministry have violated the basic norms. How could the babus justify paltry increase of Rs. 150/- only when monthly reservist pension stood increased from Rs. 1275/- to Rs. 3500/- The families of reservists who expired subsequent to their opting for ex gratia allowance scheme have further been discriminated by revising the allowance to Rs. 645/- i.e. just increase of Rs. 40/-only. It is a big joke! It is high time that ESM organisations like RDOA and ESM League should take up the matter with Central Government so that proper justice is done to reservists and their families.It is the bounden duty of Army HQ also to intervene in the matter effectively.

Lt Col B S Chaudhary

Bharat said...

Along with Jai Hind, we can and should be saying a lot more....It is not just the ESM organisations which should take up these cases. The HQs of Army, Air Force and Navy should be actively involved in sorting out these issues.
Lt Col Bharat Chevur

Aviator said...

Only retired politicians have some value thats coz they have no expiry date.... we on the otherhand as faujis we are of extremely limited utility.... c'est la vie!!!!!


thanks for letting us know...

Prasad said...

When the Generals are blocking what the govt gave to Faujis,to avoid the at par or near par status with them,the govt had no reason to take a big step to hug the Fauji/Ex Fauji. Reform the top brass to expect the change in perception of the general public or the govt about the Fauji.

ashok said...

Like this similar case of my father ex havildar sanctioned pension for 18 years colour service and again granted civil pension combined with military service for higher post with more number of years 18+13=31
getting less than previously sanctioned pension in 1965 getting only one reply from all presents BABU
that option once exercised can not be
revoked, he continues writing till he leaves this world being 85+ years young ADVOCATE AND MYSELF 118 YEAR EX JWO INDIAN AIR FORCE