The govt.sleeps while the sadists take the system for a ride -Navdeep :Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Dear Veterans,
Regards.Maj.Navdeep has posted the following onhis
blog.Our organisation fully endosres his views and I
request all otherwelfare organisations of veterans to
take same stand. The legal pundits are bent upon
crushing the pensioners, particulary, the veterans
and their dependents. We will have to take a boldstand
against this injustice being done to us all. We should
stand united and pay heed to the clarion call given by
Maj. Navdeep.Sunday, January 31, 2010
The gameplan of legal pundits :
The govt sleeps while sadists take the system for
a ride
You may have read this on the blog before.
All is fair in love and war they say, and the same seems
to be the battle-cry of the Central Government against
its retired employees.So what is it that the people in
officialdom have against disabled veterans and
pensioners ?The last months have seen the Union of
India filing appeals and SLPs in almostevery decision
of the Hon’ble Courts allowing disability pension to
disabled veterans. The same is the story with other
pensionary matters. I feel ashamed in saying this but
while the lawyers make hay, former soldiers and their
families suffer in silence.It is turning out to be sickening
now. And this is to say the least.Law has now been
well settled by the Courts includingthe Hon’ble
Supreme Court on certain issues, but the legal advisors
of the government are in no mood to relent. Even when
High Courts (and now benches of the AFT) are deciding
matters with well-rounded decisions based on settled
law and principlesof equity, the central govt continues
to mindlessly file appeals before the Supreme Court.
The govt also continues to refuse benefits to veterans
in settled issues till the time individual casesare filed
separately by pensioners. One such glaring example
discussed before is disability pension to voluntary
retirees. Despite the fact that the Supreme Court has
upheld the right ofvoluntary retirees to receive
disability pension, the Union of India continues to
fileappeals against decisions of High Courts granting
such benefits to affected disabled personnel. Another
very recent and shocking example is SLP No 688 of
2010 filed by the Central Govt before the Supreme
Court which was listed for hearing on 25th of January,
2010. The case involved the improvedpensionary
benefits granted to PBOR wef 10-10-1997 after
removing the anomalies of the 5th CPC. The Hon’ble
Punjab & Haryana High Court had earlier in the year
2008 held that such benefits had to be granted to
affected personnel with effect from01-01-1996 (and not
10-10-1997) since the anomaly had to be rectified
from the date of its inception and not from some other
prospective artificial date. The High Court had hence
held personnel who retired between 01-01-1996 to
10-10-1997 also entitled to the enhanced benefits. The
Union of India, as expected, challenged the verdict
before the Hon’ble Supreme Court through an SLP but
the same was dismissed on merits on 21-11-2008.
So far, so good, but what is shameful is that fully
knowing that the law was now settled by the Apex
Court and that the Central Govt.had itself rectified
this anomaly through the anomalies committee,
another SLP (the above mentioned 688 of 2010)
was filed by them this new year against another such
decision by the same High Court and the same has
again been dismissed by the Apex Court on
25-01-2010. I bet the Hon’ble Supreme Court would
not have been informed in the fresh SLP of the
earlier dismissal of an exactly similar case in the
year 2008.It is high time that the Defence Minister,
the military top brass and the Defence Secretary take
a call on this mindless one sided ego basedlitigation
which, besides leading to burdening judicial fora,is
also leading to burden on the State and demoralisation
of rank and file. Nobody stands to gain except probably
the battery of lawyers appearing for the Union of India.
It also seems that power has been concentrated in the
hands of a few officers dealing with pensionary and
legal matters who have spent quite a few years in the
corridors of the Services Headquarters & the Ministry
and decisions of filing appeals are thrust upon the top
brass without due judiciousness or sensitivity
concerning the issues at hand. This must change. A
letter recently marked to the Defence Minster by a an
ex-services welfare organisation aptly describes the rot:
“Lower staff at the Pension wing of the Defence Ministry
is also known to prepare misleading and deceptive
noting sheetswhich are put up to senior officers and
even the Raksha Mantri, who in good faith affix their
initials leaving the gallery open to such officers who
then flaunt the said approvals by stating that the same
have the sanction of the Defence Minister. It is also
learnt that the officers in the Defence Ministry have
asked Govt.lawyers in writing to change their legal
opinion when such lawyers had advised against filing
of appeals.”What is the game behind this, one may ask.
Well, the govt is well aware that disabled veterans and
poor pensioners do not have adequate financial
back-up to defend their cases in the Supreme Court,so
for the govt it is well worth taking a chance. I can only
say that in the interest of equity and fair-play, we all
must wakeup before some officers take the entire
defence services and the legal system for a royal ride.
It is also time for senior staff of theMinistry and our
uniformed officers to apply proper mindbefore they
permit their subordinates to resort to unethical
litigation against poor people who have served the
nation to the best of their abilities. The hint of my
call is particularlydirected towards the upper
echelons of Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare in
the MoD and the Personnel ServicesDirectorate in the
Army Headquarters. The tendency to view poor
litigants as ‘Enemies of the State’ must also change.

Pension rates likely to be granted to Pre-2006 veterans: Vet. Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Dear Veterans,

Regards.

Find below the pension rates likely to be granted by the

Government for Pre- 2006 Sepoy to N/ Sub. group

‘B’ after implementation of Modified Parity Pension.

This is un-authenticated data. Please do not discuss

much about this.

Sep. 15 yrs. Rs. 4523/- 20 yrs. Rs. 5473/-

TS NK / Hony. NK. 15 yrs. Rs. 4634/- 20 yrs. Rs. 5642/-

NK. 15 yrs. Rs. 4635/- 20 yrs. Rs. 5643/-

NK. ( Hony. Hav) 15 yrs. Rs. 4594/- 20 yrs. Rs. 5607/-

Hav. 15 yrs. Rs. 4595/- 20 yrs. Rs. 5608/-

Hav.( Hony. Nb. Sub.) 15 yrs. Rs. 5273/- 20 yrs. Rs. 6367/-

Nb. Sub. 15 yrs. Rs. 5274/- 20 yrs. Rs. 6368/-

Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Mob:098554-09128 Tele-fax: 0175-5000896

Letter of the MoD and response by IESL Punjab & Chandigarh: Vet. Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Revision of Disability /War Injury Element of Pension:Veteran Prabhjot Singh PLS Retd.

Dear veterans ,
Regards.Find below a copy of letter regarding Disability/
War Injury Element of Pension.
No.10 (01)/D (Pen/Pol)/2009/Vol.IIGovernment of India,
Ministry of Defence,
Department of Ex-Servicemen WelfareNew Delhi
Dated 19th Jan, 2010.
To
The Chief of the Army Staff
The Chief of the Naval Staff
The Chief of the Air Staff

Subject: Revision of Disability/War Injury Element of pension
in respect of Armed Forces Officers and PBOR pensioners
based on the recmmendations of Cabinet Secretary Committee
Report.

Sir,
The undersigned is directed to state that the in order to
consider various issues on pension of Armed Forces
Pensioners, Government had set up a Committee headed by
the Cabinet Secretary. The reommendations of the said
Cabinet Secretary’s Committee on disability/war injury
pension have been considered by the Government and the
President is pleased to decide that with effect from 1.7.2009,
the concept of broad bandiing of percentage of disability/war
injury, as provided in Para 7.2 of this Ministry’s letter
No 1(2)/97/D(Pen-C) dated 31.01.2001, shall be extended to
Armed Forces Officers and PBOR who were invalided out of
service prior to 1.1.1996 and are in receipt of disability/war
injury pension as on 1.7.2009. Wherever, the disability being
accepted as less than 20% at initial stage or subsequent stage
on reassessment of disability, the same will continue to be
disallowed and such cases will not be re-opened.

2. Further, the President is also pleased to decide tht the
cap on war injury pension with reference to emoluments last
drawn in the case of disabled pensioners belonging to category
‘E’ of Para 4.1 of this Ministry’s above mentioned letter dated
31.1.2001, shall stand removed with effect from 1.7.2009 for
Armed Forces Officers and PBOR pensioners. The provision
contained in Para 8 of this Ministry’s letter No PC 1(2)97/
D(Pen-C) Dated 16.5.2001, Para 10.1(b). of this Ministry letter
No. 1(2)/97/D(Pen-C) dated 31.1.2001 and para 6.4 & 7.4 of
this Ministry’s letter No. 16(6)/2008(2)/D(Pen/Pol) dated
5.5.2009, shall stand modified to that extent.
3. The disability/war injury element of pension in all such
cases shall be recomputed accordingly under these orders
by the Pension Sanctioning Authorities (PSAs) concerned for
regulating payment under this Ministry’s letter No. 16(6)/
2008(1)/ D(Pen/Policy) dated 4.5.2009 and letter No. 16(6)/
2008(2)/D(Pen/Policy) dated 5.5.2009. For this purpose,
each affected Armed Forces pensioner who is in receipt of
disability/war injury element of pension as on 1.7.2009
will submit an application in the format enclosed as
Annexure to this letter to PSAs concerned for revision of
disability/war injury element of pension in terms of Para
1 and 2 above, as the case may be. Further implementation
instructions to all concerned will be issued by PCDA
(Pensions) Allahabad immediately on reeipt of these orders.

4. Revision of war injury element of pension in respect of
those who have been retired/discharged/invalidated out
of service on or after 1.7.2009 under category ‘E’ and in
whose case war injury pension has already been notified
in terms of this Ministry’s above mentioned letter dated
5.5.2009, will be carried out suo-moto by PSAs concerned
by issue of corrigendum PPOs without any application from
the concerned pensioners.

5. This issues with the concurrenc of Finance Division of
this Ministry vide their U.O.No. 51/Fin/Pen dated
08.01.2010.
Hindi versoin will follow.
Yours faithfully,
Sd xxx(Harbans Singh)Director (Pension Policy)
Encl: a/aCopy to : - As per standard distribution list.
----------
Annexure
(Referred to Para 3 of MOD letter No 10(1)/2009/D(Pen
/Policy) dated 19.1.2010)
FORM OF APPLICATION
(To be submitted IN TRIPLICATE by Armed Forces
disability pensioners invalided out prior to 1.1.1996 and
war injury pensioners invalidated prior to 1.7.2009 and
those released after 1.1.2008 but before 1.7.2009 and
drawing disability/war injury element of pension as on
1.7.2009)
To (Pension Disbursing Authority)
..........................................................................

Sub: Recomputation of disability/war injury element of
pension drawing pension as on 1.7.2009
Sir,
With a view to recompute my disability/war injury element of
pension in terms of Ministry of Defence letter No 10(1)/2009/
D(Pen/Policy) dated ........ 2009, the requisite particulars are
given below : -
1. Name of the pensioner
2. Rank/group and Regt No/IC No
3. Date of Enrolment/Commission
4. Date of invalidment
5. Type of pension admissible
6. PPO No/Corr.PPO No underwhichdisability/war injury
element of pensionon invalidment was notified.
7. Percentage of disability for whichdisability/war injury
element is being drawn as on 1.7.2009
8. Amount of existing disability/warinjury element being
drawn as on 1.7.2009
9. Amount of existing service element ofdisability/war
injury element being drawnas on 1.7.2009
10. Pension Disbursing Agency (Payingbank branch with
SB/Current A/c No/Treasury/DPDO/PAO
11. Name of applicant if the application isbeing made on
behalf of pensioner forLife-Time Arrears (LTA)
12. Address of the family pensioner/applicant
Date:
(Signature of Pensioner/Applicant)
..... 2
-2-
PART II
(To be completed by the PDA of the pensioner)
The particulars mentioned above are verified with
reference to pension account held and forwarded to the
Record Office .............................................. (full address) in
the case of PBOR and PSAs concerned ...............................
................ (full adress) in the case of commissioned officers.
No ......
Date .....

(SIGNATURE)Rubber stamp of Pension Disbursing Authority
PART III
(To be completed by the Record office of the pensioner)
Verified and forwarded to the PSAs concerned ..................
...............................(full address)
No ......
Date .....
(SIGNATURE)Rubber stamp of Pension Disbursing Authority
Address of Pension Sanctioning Authorities:
Army, Navy & Air Force Officers
1. The Principal Controller of Defence Accounts
(Pensions)Draupdighat, Allahabad – 211014.
For such Naval and Airforce officers who retired from
service on or after 1.11.1985
2. The Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Navy)
2, Cooper Road, Mumbai – 400039.
3. Jt Controller of Defence Accounts (AF)Subroto Park,
Delhi Cantt – 110010.



No.10 (01)/D (Pen/Pol)/2009/Vol.IIGovernment of India,
Ministry of Defence,
Department of Ex-Servicemen WelfareNew Delhi
Dated 19th Jan, 2010.
To,The Chief of the Army Staff
The Chief of the Naval Staff
The Chief of the Air Staff

Subject: Revision of Disability/War Injury Element of
pension in respect of Armed Forces Officers and PBOR
pensioners based on the recmmendations of Cabinet
Secretary Committee Report.

Sir,
The undersigned is directed to state that the in order to
considre various issues on pension of Armed Forces
Pensioners, Government had set up a Committee headed
by the Cabinet Secretary. The reommendations of the
said Cabinet Secretary’s Committee on disability/war
injury pension have been considered by the Government
and the President is pleased to decide that with effect
from 1.7.2009, the concept of broad bandiing of
percentage of disability/war injury, as provided in
Para 7.2 of this Ministry’s letter No 1(2)/97/D(Pen-C)
dated 31.01.2001, shall be extended to Armed Forces
Officers and PBOR who were invalided out of service
prior to 1.1.1996 and are in receipt of disability/war injury
pension as on 1.7.2009. Wherever, the disability being
accepted as less than 20% at initial stage or subsequent
stage on reassessment of disability, the same will
continue to be disallowed and such cases will not be
re-opened.

2. Further, the President is also pleased to decide the the
cap on war injury pension with reference to emoluments
last drawn in the case of disabled pensioners belonging
to category ‘E’ of Para 4.1 of this Ministry’s above mentioned
letter dated 31.1.2001, shall stand removed with effect from
1.7.2009 for Armed Forces Officers and PBOR pensioners.
The provision contained in Para 8 of this Ministry’s letter No
PC 1(2)97/D(Pen-C) Dated 16.5.2001, Para 10.1(b). of this
Ministry letter No. 1(2)/97/D(Pen-C) dated 31.1.2001 and
para 6.4 & 7.4 of this Ministry’s letter No. 16(6)/2008(2)/
D(Pen/Pol) dated 5.5.2009, shall stand modified to that
extent.
3. The disability/war injury element of pension in all such
cases shall be recomputed accordingly under these orders
by the Pension Sanctioning Authorities (PSAs) concerned
for rgulating payment under this Ministry’s letter No.
16(6)/2008(1)/ D(Pen/Policy) dated 4.5.2009 and letter
No. 16(6)/2008(2)/D(Pen/Policy) dated 5.5.2009. For this
purpose, each affected Armed Forces pensioner who is in
receipt of disability/war injury element of pension as on
1.7.2009 will submit an application in the format enclosed
as Annexure to this letter to PSAs concerned for revision of
disability/war injury element of pension in terms of Para 1
and 2 above, as the case may be. Further implementation
instructions to all concerned will be issued by PCDA
(Pensions) Allahabad immediately on reeipt of these orders.

4. Revision of war injury element of pension in respect of
those who have been retired/discharged/invalidated out
of service on or after 1.7.2009 under category ‘E’ and in
whose case war injury pension has already been notified in
terms of this Ministry’s above mentioned letter dated
5.5.2009, will be carried out suo-moto by PSAs concerned
by issue of corrigendum PPOs without any application
from the concerned pensioners.

5. This issues with the concurrenc of Finance Division of
this Ministry vide their U.O.No. 51/Fin/Pen dated 08.01.2010.
Hindi versoin will follow.
Yours faithfully,
Sd xxx(Harbans Singh)Director (Pension Policy)
Encl: a/aCopy to : - As per standard distribution list.
----------
Annexure
(Referred to Para 3 of MOD letter No 10(1)/2009/D(Pen/
Policy) dated 19.1.2010)
FORM OF APPLICATION
(To be submitted IN TRIPLICATE by Armed Forces
disability pensioners invalided out prior to 1.1.1996 and
war injury pesnioners invalided out prior to 1.7.2009 and
those released after 1.1.2008 but before 1.7.2009 and
drawing disability/war injury element of pension as on
1.7.2009)
To (Pension Disbursing Authority)
..........................................................................

Sub: Recomputation of disability/war injury element of
pension drawing pension as on 1.7.2009
Sir,
Wit a view to recompute my disability/war injury element
of pension in terms of Ministry of Defence letter No 10(1)/
2009/D(Pen/Policy) dated ........ 2009, the requisite
particulars are given below : -
1. Name of the pensioner
2. Rank/group and Regt No/IC No
3. Date of Enrolment/Commission
4. Date of invalidment
5. Type of pension admissible
6. PPO No/Corr.PPO No under which disability/war injury
element of pension on invalidment was notified.
7. Percentage of disability for whichdisability/war injury
element is beingdrawn as on 1.7.2009
8. Amount of existing disability/war injury element being
drawn as on 1.7.2009
9. Amount of existing service element ofdisability/war
injury element being drawnas on 1.7.2009
10. Pension Disbursing Agency (Payingbank branch with
SB/Current A/c No/Treasury/DPDO/PAO
11. Name of applicant if the application is being made on
behalf of pensioner for Life-Time Arrears (LTA)
12. Address of the family pensioner/applicant
Date:
(Signature of Pensioner/Applicant)
..... 2
-2-
PART II
(To be completed by the PDA of the pensioner)
The particulars mentioned above are verified with
reference to pension account held and forwarded to
the Record Office ..............................................
(full address) in the case of PBOR and PSAs
concerned ............................................... (full adress) in
the case of commissioned officers.
No ......
Date .....

(SIGNATURE)Rubber stamp of Pension Disbursing Authority
PART III
(To be completed by the Record office of the pensioner)
Verified and forwarded to the PSAs concerned ..................
...............................(full address)
No ......
Date .....
(SIGNATURE)Rubber stamp of Pension Disbursing Authority
Address of Pension Sanctioning Authorities:
Army, Navy & Air Force Officers
1. The Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions)
Draupdighat, Allahabad – 211014.
For such Naval and Airforce officers who retired from service
on or after 1.11.1985
2. The Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Navy)2,
Cooper Road, Mumbai – 400039.
3. Jt Controller of Defence Accounts (AF)Subroto Park,
Delhi Cantt – 110010.

Improvement of Disability Pension for pre-06 retirees :Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd

Improvement of Disability Pension for pre-06 retirees :
Orders partly issued-Navdeep
The Govt of India has issued certain orders regarding
disability pension in pursuance to the recommendations
of the Committee of Secretaries headed by the Cabinet
Secretary.The benefit of rounding-off / broad-banding
of disability percentage has now been extended to pre-
1-1-1996invalided personnel also. The provisions of the
earlier Govt of India letter dated 31 Jan 2001 which
provided a cut-off date of 1-1-96 for the said benefit, stand amendedaccordingly.The cap on War Injury Pension
restricting thesame to the maximum of ‘last drawn
emoluments’ for personnel invalided out in Category ‘E’
of the above mentioned letter dated 31 Jan 2001 also stands
removed.The orders on calculating disability element on a
percentage basis have not been issued as yet.The benefit of
rounding-off/broad-banding, like before, has only been
extended to persons who were ‘invalided out’ and not to those
who wereretired / discharged on completion of terms of
engagement or on superannuation. The Hon’ble Punjab
Haryana HighCourt in Paramjit Singh Vs UOI, while differing
with the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Lt Col PK Kapoor Vs UOI,
has already held this action to be arbitrary. Surprisingly,
neither the Petitioner nor the Govt had brought to the notice
of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Col Kapoor’s case that
Regulations now themselves provide that persons in Low
Medical Category at the time of retirement are also ‘deemed’
to be invalided out for the purposes of disability pension.The
different treatment between invalided and superannuating
personnel also seems strange in view of the fact that broad-
banding / rounding-off was introduced to curb medical s
ubjectivity since it was felt that different medical boards were
providing different percentages of disability for similar
ailments. To counter such assessment mistakes, the concept
of broad-banding of disability percentage was introduced.
Keeping this in view, it hardly makes any sense to deny broad-
banding to superannuating personnel while granting it to
invalided personnel since that would amountto saying that
medical subjectivity was only existing in medical boards
examining invalided personnel and notthose which were
examining superannuating personnel. This fact of the reason
behind broad-banding was hiddenfrom the Hon’ble Supreme
Court in Kapoor’s case and hence the judgement has no
binding effect on courts inferior being a judgement sub-
silentio. In fact, the judgement was rendered on the incorrect
statement of the Union of Indiathat broad-banding was
granted as a compensation to invalided personnel, a fact
that was sadly not countered by the Petitioner who was
appearing in person.
Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.
Mob.098554-09128,Tele-fax 0175-5000896

Land ScamAntony orders court martial of Lt GenAjay BanerjeeTribune:Veteran Prabhjot Singh PLS Retd.

Land ScamAntony orders court martial of

Lt GenAjay BanerjeeTribune News Service
New Delhi, January 27Virtually cracking the whip and

differing from the opinion of the Indian Army chief,

Defence Minister AK Antony today recommended that

court martial proceedings be initiated against military

secretary Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash.
Army chief Gen Deepak Kapoor had recommended only

a milder “administrative action” against Lt Gen

Prakash and two others, Lt Gen Ramesh Halgali and

Major-Gen P Sen, while he okayed disciplinary

proceedings against Lt Gen PK Rath in what is now

known as the “Darjeeling land scam”. Administrative

action is a mild reprimand when compared with

disciplinary proceedings, which can lead up to a court

martial.
The advice of the Defence Minister had reached the

Army chief this evening, sources said while confirming

the developments. Such an advice coming from the

Defence Minister was unprecedented. The onus is now on

the Army chief to take action. Sources said the Army

chief is “unlikely to differ on the Defence Minister’s advice”

and it was likely that General Prakash will not escape

unscathed.
Last week, Adjutant-General Lt Gen Mukesh Sabharwal

acting on the advice of the Army chief issued notices for

taking administrative action against Military Secretary

General Prakash and others. General Prakash, who is to

retire on January 31, has replied to the notice, sources

said today.
Last week, Antony had questioned the Army chief as to why

different yardsticks were applied in deciding the nature

of action against four senior Generals. The court of inquiry

ordered by the Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen VK Singh

had indicted two officers, including General Prakash, for

their role in issuing a no-objection certificate to a private

establishment that falsely claimed to be establishing an

affiliate of the well known Ajmer-based Mayo College on

land adjacent to the Sukna military station in Darjeeling

district.
On Saturday, General Kapoor had explained to the defence

ministry why he wanted only an administrative action

against Prakash while the COI ordered by General VK Singh

had wanted General Prakash be sacked. The Army chief ’s

ruling given on January 11 was in contrast to the

recommendation of the COI and that had prompted Antony

to seek a reply.
The Defence Minister had reportedly asked General Kapoor

as to what was the basis to take disciplinary action against

only one of the four senior Generals who were facing a probe.
Lt Gen Rath, is his earlier capacity as commander of the 33

corps at Darjeeling, had a major role in of signing of a

memorandum of understanding with a private realtor for a

70-acre plot adjacent to the military station near Darjeeling.

Rath during the court of inquiry had blamed the military

secretary for putting pressure on him to allow the MoU.

Veteran Prbahjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Mob:098554-09128 Telefax:0175-5000896.

Chatwal (Chhatwal) among Padma Bhushan Awardees: Vet. Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

S. Sant Singh Chatwal (Chhatwal) honoured with
Padma Bhushan Award
S. Sant Singh Chatwal (Chhatwal) is an Ex-Naval Trainee
Pilot and a distant relative of Vet. Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal.
Clean chit to Chatwal : Tribune News Service.
New Delhi, January 27Just a day after a controversy erupted
over conferring the Padma Bhushan award on New York
based NRI Sant Singh Chatwal, the government today
came out in strong defence and clarified that he had
been discharged by a court in Mumbai and there was
nothing adverse on record against him.
The government specified the role of Chatwal in the
Indo-US nuclear deal saying he was actively involved
in securing support for the nuclear deal among the
members of the Congress of the United States. It also
referred to him as “tireless advocate” of India’s
interests in the US.
Referring to the allegations of financial irregularities
against him, the government clarified that between
1992 and 1994, the CBI had registered five cases
against him and some bank officials for conniving
with the intention of defrauding the Bank of Baroda
and Bank of India. Three of these cases were closed
by the CBI itself while in the remaining two cases,
the Court discharged Chatwal.
The “Padma Awards” are conferred only after
consideration in terms of the guidelines regulating
the award and after observance of established and
elaborate procedures. A ‘due diligence’ exercise is
undertaken in respect of each awardee in consultation
with appropriate agencies before announcement of
the award, Onkar Kedia, the ministry spokesperson
said. No award is conferred except on the
recommendation of the Awards Committee,
constituted for the purpose and after the ‘due
diligence’ has been done, he added.
Chatwal was among the 43 people chosen by the
government for the prestigious Padma Bhushan on
the eve of the Republic Day earlier this week. The
decision sparked off a controversy with the BJP
objecting to the move because of the CBI cases
against him.
The Ministry said Chatwal was a Trustee of the
William J Clinton Foundation, which focuses on
issues such as health care, climate change and
economic empowerment of the underprivileged in
the world community. He made frequent trips to India
to provide relief to victims of tsunami and AIDS. He
is also a prominent leader of the Indian-American
community, it said.
Veteran Prbahjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.
Mob:098554-09128 Telefax:0175-5000896.