AN APPEAL FROM VETERANS TO PEOPLES’ REPRESENTATIVES
IN
BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT
Honorable Members of Parliament
I am sure that all of you
honorable members are aware of the existence of section of society known
earlier as “EX-SERVICEMEN” and now rechristened a “VETERANS” . I do not know if
the renaming has brought any difference in their social status in the eyes of
the bureaucrats which is degradation, disdain, disgrace, contempt and insult. The process of degradation commenced
over four decades ago and grew to the present indescribable dimension. I will
not go in to the details of history of those callously calculated moves by
bureaucrats who always wanted subjugated Armed Forces as all of you , I am sure,
are fully aware of.
Issue now is of absolute
discrimination
This appeal from veterans comes
to you for help in resolving a burning issue which is affecting life of many pre
2006 defense retirees who are living in perennial penury.
The Hon’ble CAT Ernakulam in an
order dt 16-8-2013 in OA.No.715/2012 filed by Sri M.O. Inasu directed that the
revised pension w.e.f.1-1-2006 under 4.2 of OM dt 1-9-2008 would not be reduced
based on the qualifying service of 33 years. The appeals filed against the
order in Hon’ble High Court of Kerala and The Hon’ble Supreme court of India
were dismissed.
Consequent upon this the GOI
issued OM No.38/37/08-P&PW (A) dt 06 April, 2016 revising pension of
Central Govt Retirees in Accordance with CAT order.
Within 48 hours of issuance of
the above OM the Principal Controller of Defense Accounts (Pension), Draupadi
Ghat issued Circular C-149 asking all pension disbursing authorities to revise
Pension of all pre 2006 Defense Civilian Retirees.
FOUR MONTHS have gone by nothing
has happened as regards defense pensioners.
The benefits of this order mostly
affect low paid PBOR like sepoy/Naik/Hav/and JCOS. Most of them are in their
twilight years of existence and pinned their hopes of a small comfort of
arrears accruing out of the enhancement in emoluments.
We are not worried and surely not
jealous if our civilian brothers get arrears earlier. Let them have; but WHY
THIS APATHY towards us? That is the question which baffles us. Is GUARDING AND
KEEPING VIGIL AT BORDERS AND SACRIFICING OUR LIVES WHEN THE NATION IS
THREATENED is the crime that we committed for which we are being subjected to
this punishment? We are unable to fathom the depth of the intellectual
inanities of “Babus” who rule the roost in MOD.
We have approached all and sundry
trying to resolve the issue but in vain. Senior veteran officers have written
to the Raksha Mantri requesting him to find a solution for the present impasse;
but again in vain. DESW was requested to throw light on the matter and we were
advised that the matter was “under processing”. This was on 24 May 2016.
On 27-6-2016 Sri MBC Menon asked
under RTI 2005 to furnish information on the subject for which a reply dt
1-8-16, clearly exhibiting the thinking of Babus which has been and is contempt
towards the cause of veterans was received on 3-8-16.
Para 2 of the the reply said “the
information sought by is not specific as defined under section 2(f) of RTI Act
2005 and CPIO is not supposed to create information/give clarification on the
issue raised by the applicant”
It further says that the matter
is “under examination”.
Hon’ble MPs, please note
difference a.) GOI issues OM on 6/4/16 and pension is revised for CG pensioner
b) within 48 hrs PCDA(P) issues circular to revise pension of defense
civilians. C) the matter still “BEING EXAMINED” even after 4 months in respect
of defense veterans.
Gentlemen Ladies MPs, tell us
what you think about this. Will you accept such inordinate delay when the
question of implementation of enhancement of your emoluments are concerned ?
Will Abhinav Mohanty Sir, MP and
Rajiv Chandrasekhar Sir MP take up this matter in both Houses? Will any
representative of the people, of which we too are part and parcel, rise to the
occasion and speak for us.
Thank you in anticipation
Veteran JWO Sukumaran Nair
