Moga jawan’s battle for pension lasted 49 yrs _Vijay Mohan Tribune: Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Moga jawan’s battle for pension lasted 49 yrs:
Vijay MohanTribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 26His tryst with the Army lasted for just about two years, but the battle he waged for pension stretched for 49 long years.Almost five decades after Balbir Singh, a resident of Moga, was invalided out of service on medical grounds, the Armed Forces Tribunal today allowed his writ petition, entitling him pension. The Bench, comprising Justice Ghanshyam Prashad and Lt Gen NS Brar also ordered that he be given arrears of pension for the past three years along with 10 per cent interest.
Balbir had enrolled in the Army in November 1956, but was discharged on medical grounds in November 1958 after he developed health problems. A medical board attributed his disease to be fully attributable to and aggravated by military service and assessed his disability to be above 20 per cent.
He was sanctioned disability pension, but to his shock, it was discontinued from September 1960, even though a review of his disability percentage remained static and there was no change in his condition. No reasons for discontinuing his pension were conveyed to him.
Balbir had contended that ignoring the settled position of law and instructions on the subject, the Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions) rejected the claim of the petitioner presumably on the grounds that the disability percentage assessed by the invaliding medical board was below 20 per cent. This decision, he claimed, was never received by him.
He approached the authorities concerned to get his pension restored, but in the meantime, inadvertently lost the entire correspondence relating to the matter. He had thereafter been making representations to all concerned, but there was no reply or restoration of pension by the authorities.
Finally, he sent a notice through his counsel in September 2008, in response to which he received a copy of letter dated October 31, 1960, that had declined his claim on the ground that his disability had fallen below 20 per cent. And he was, therefore, not entitled to any pension. Thereafter, he sought judicial redressal for his grievance.
Long wait
Balbir Singh had enrolled in the Army in November 1956, but was discharged on medical grounds in November 1958 after he developed health problems. A medical board attributed his disease to be fully attributable to and aggravated by military service and assessed his disability to be above 20 per cent.He was sanctioned disability pension, but to his shock, it was discontinued from September 1960.

Chandigarh, March 26His tryst with the Army lasted for just about two years, but the battle he waged for pension stretched for 49 long years.Almost five decades after Balbir Singh, a resident of Moga, was invalided out of service on medical grounds, the Armed Forces Tribunal today allowed his writ petition, entitling him pension. The Bench, comprising Justice Ghanshyam Prashad and Lt Gen NS Brar also ordered that he be given arrears of pension for the past three years along with 10 per cent interest.
Balbir had enrolled in the Army in November 1956, but was discharged on medical grounds in November 1958 after he developed health problems. A medical board attributed his disease to be fully attributable to and aggravated by military service and assessed his disability to be above 20 per cent.
He was sanctioned disability pension, but to his shock, it was discontinued from September 1960, even though a review of his disability percentage remained static and there was no change in his condition. No reasons for discontinuing his pension were conveyed to him.
Balbir had contended that ignoring the settled position of law and instructions on the subject, the Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions) rejected the claim of the petitioner presumably on the grounds that the disability percentage assessed by the invaliding medical board was below 20 per cent. This decision, he claimed, was never received by him.
He approached the authorities concerned to get his pension restored, but in the meantime, inadvertently lost the entire correspondence relating to the matter. He had thereafter been making representations to all concerned, but there was no reply or restoration of pension by the authorities.
Finally, he sent a notice through his counsel in September 2008, in response to which he received a copy of letter dated October 31, 1960, that had declined his claim on the ground that his disability had fallen below 20 per cent. And he was, therefore, not entitled to any pension. Thereafter, he sought judicial redressal for his grievance.
Long wait
Balbir Singh had enrolled in the Army in November 1956, but was discharged on medical grounds in November 1958 after he developed health problems. A medical board attributed his disease to be fully attributable to and aggravated by military service and assessed his disability to be above 20 per cent.He was sanctioned disability pension, but to his shock, it was discontinued from September 1960.

Punjab Ex-Servicemen Corporation to set up training institutes:Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Ex-servicemen to set up
training institutes:
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 19.The Punjab Ex-Servicemen Corporation
(PESCO) is setting up two institutes at Mohali and Bathinda
for training prospective candidates from Punjab for entry into
the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy.

PESCO’s board of directors, at its meeting held here yesterday,
had earmarked Rs 10 lakh for the project, the corporation’s
chairman and managing director, Maj Gen US Sidhu (retd) said.
In Mohali, the department has leased premises in Phase-VII
from the Department of Child Welfare for running the training
courses, while in Bathinda the courses would be run from the
office complex of the Department of Sainik Welfare.
The PESCO has been allotted three acres of land in Bathinda
where it would build its own complex for carrying out its
activities. The foundation stone of the complex is expected
to be laid this month.
General Sidhu said PESCO was also launching a new scheme
for grant of tractor loans at subsidised rates to ex-servicemen.

Applicants for these loans should possess at least three acres
of land and be below 60 years of age. A sum of Rs 1 crore has
been set aside for this scheme.

MOST IMPORTANT NOTICE FROM Ex Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Association (Regd.): Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Dear Veterans,
Regards. It is for the information all those veterans
whohave taken lot of interest towards the formation
of this organisation ( Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen
Association) and encouraged the undersigned by
submitting thier Consent Form for getting themselves
enrolled as LIFE MEMBERS are, hereby, requested to
submit their Membership Form which stands posted
on this blog and deposit/send their LIFE MEMBERSHIP
FEE as given along with the form by 31-03-2010 so as
enable us form the GOVERNING COUNCIL of the
association.

First General Body Meeting of Association is likely to be
called with in a couple of months.

Members from Dharmapuri (TamilNadu) to note this
(Specially Hony.Sub.Maj. G.NAGARAJAN) as their
number is very large.

Cpl. N.A. Karuppa Swamy, please,send your
Member Registration Form as the same is not traceable
due to problem in my computer. Your ICis pending due
to your Service Number. Pl. send the form by Fax or Post.
All the veterans to note, please. Members can dopit the
membership fee in HDFC bank in their city in the account
of association. Acct. No. 01161450000148 in the name of
Ex Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Association. Thanks.
Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.
President,
EX Soldiers,Sailors and Airmen Association (Regd.)
Mob.098554-09128,Tele-fax 0175-5000896.

Ex-servicemen Armed forces Sixth Pay Commission: Pay Arrears & Salary Hike Details after SC ruling: Veteran Prabhjot Singh PLS Retd.

Ex-servicemen Armed forces Sixth Pay Commission:

Pay Arrears & Salary Hike

Details after SC ruling.

The latest news on Sixth Pay Commission is for the

Ex-servicemen or Armed forces officers, who either

retired or were supposed to retire between 1986 and

1996. There was a court case going on in the Keral

High Court and today the honourable Supreme Court

has upheld the decision of the Keral High Court that

the pay arrears, pension details for Ex-servicemen or

Armed forces officers were calculated incorrectly and

they should be re-recalculated and paid with

retrospective effect from Jan 1, 1986. This will bring in

a big payment of arrears and pension payment for the

retired army officers or Ex-servicemen or Armed forces

officers. These employees, government employees will

be getting the benefits of the Sixth pay Commission

Panel Recommendations as per the new calculations.

How many ex-servicemen or army officers will benefit

from this latest development on Sixth Pay Commission

Recommendations?

Around 30,000 to 40,000 ex-servicemen or retired armed

forces officers who were commissioned or retired between

1986 and 1996, are expected to benefit.

Meeting of ex-servicemen and widows:Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Meeting of ex-servicemen and widows.

Dear Veterans ( Living in Mumbai and adjoining area),
Regards. Next meeting of Mumbai State Unit of Ex Soldiers,
Sailors and Airmen Association is scheduled to be held on
21 March, 2010 ( Sunday ) at 10.00 a.m.

Venue of meeting.
Maruti Tower,Plot No.11,Sec-05,Kamothe,Navi Mumbai ,
Near Venkat Presidency Hotel.All the veterans are requested
to attend the same to know Improved Pension Rates and
other benefits.
Contact No. 9869328402, 9920018982, 9702020412.

Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.
National President,
Ex Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Association.
Mob.98554-09128,tele-fax 0175-5000896.

MoD clears pending pension orders -Tribune News :Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Dear Veterans, Your wait is over.
Finally, MoD has issued the
notification on 8-3-2010. It will
soon reach all of you through net.

Veterans may please note that all this delay was due to
the fact that some of our own (R) own veterans, still having
a sway in MoD.,have been trying to get this delayed so that
JCOs. and below should carry on looking forward to them
for every thing and follow them like MAI BAPP as they did
during active service.
Now those veterans are oppsing the move of Govt. to
abolish the Tradition of Deployment of Sahayak with
officers in Army.
We,all, have to stand,firmly, against them and support
the Govt. in getting this tradition abolished.
Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal
PLS Retd.
President,
Ex Soldiers,Sailors andAirmen
Association( Regd.)

MoD clears pending pension orders:
Ajay BanerjeeTribune News Service

New Delhi, March 10.Just five days after Prime Minister

Manmohan Singh promised in Lok Sabha to address the

issue of pensions for ex-servicemen, the Ministry of

Defence today circulated instructions to implement two

pending matters.
This would increase the pensions of jawans and also

bring the much-awaited parity between persons who

were getting lesser pension than their juniors.
The Ministry has issued orders to bring about parity

between persons who retired before October 10, 1997,

and those who retired after that date. This will be

applicable to all persons below other ranks (PBORS)

of the Army, Air Force and the Navy.
About 12 lakh retired jawans, airmen and sailors, who

form the core of Defence Minister AK Antony’s long-term

welfare measures, will be benefited.
The second part of the latest instructions is to improve

the pensions as per the award of the Group of Ministers

in 2006. This mean the award has been accepted and orders

issued in this regard.
It may be mentioned that these two issues were pending

since last year’s Lok Sabha polls, and even ended up

creating a minor controversy. Media reports were then

published quoting unidentified sources that the same

had been cleared, even as the five-phase polling process

was on.
The Election Commission had sought a clarification and

the Ministry had to clarify that the said media reports

were false.
Sources in the Ministry of Defence today explained that a

Committee under the chairmanship of the Cabinet

Secretary has considered the demands of the ex-servicemen

and made seven recommendations. Five of these had been

cleared and two were pending.
The other five points cleared by the Cabinet Secretary

and implemented by the MoD were:

1.Inclusion of Classification Allowance for PBOR from 1.1.2006;

2.Removal of linkage of full pension with 33 years from 1.1.2006;

3.Revision of Lt Generals’ pension after carving out a separate

pay scale for them;

4.Broad banding percentage of disability/war injury pensions

for pre 1.1.2006 disability/war injury pensioners.

5.Removal of cap on war injury element of pension in the case

of disabled pensioners.
All these moves will collectively cost Rs 2,200 crore to the

exchequer annually.
Implementation of these orders will not only significantly

reduce the gap between the past and the current pensioners

but will also considerably improve the pension of

ex-servicemen, including disabled ex-servicemen. Last week,

the Prime Minister and BJP veteran LK Advani had an

exchange of sharp words over the matter. Advani has

accused the government of going back on its words of

helping the ex-servicemen in and implementing ‘one rank

one pension”.

Orders issued for pensionary benefits to ex-servicemen-ZEE News Com :Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Dear Veterans,
Find below a news item from ZEE News Com. With this it
is duly confirmed that the orders for Modified Parity in
Pension for JCOs. and below have been issued on
8-3-2010 by MoD.
Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Orders issued for pensionary
benefits to ex-servicemen

New Delhi: In a move that will bring relief to over 12 lakh
ex-servicemen, the Defence Ministry has issued orders to
implement pending pensionary benefits to them involving
an annual expenditure of about Rs 2,200 crore. The
decision followed recommendations by a high-level
committee and recent assurance in this regard in the Lok
Sabha by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

With these orders, the ministry has implemented all the
seven recommendations of committee headed by Cabinet
Secretary K M Chandrasekhar on pensions, which would
now be close to the 'One Rank-One Pension' demand of
ex-servicemen, senior ministry officials said today.

"The Defence Ministry issued the orders on March 8
this year to implement the remaining two of the seven
suggestions of the Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar-
headed committee on 'One Rank-One Pension' demand,"
they said. The two recommendations for which the orders
were issued were bringing parity between pension of
pre- and post-October 10, 1999, personnel below officer
rank, and further improving their pensions based on award
of Group of Ministers in 2006. "With this order, the
pensionary benefits of officers and jawans comes to near
'One Rank-One Pension' (OROP) benefits sought by the
ex-servicemen," they added.
To queries on the order, Defence Ministry spokesperson
Sitanshu Kar saidimplementation of the orders would
not only significantly reduce the gap between the past
and current pensioners,but would also considerably
improve the pension of ex-servicemen including
disabled pensioners. "
It will benefit 12 lakh ex-servicemen at a cost of Rs 2,200
crore approximately annually," Kar added.Singh had
told the Lok Sabha on March 5, in reply to BJP leader
L K Advani's contention that OROP was not implemented,
that five of the seven recommendations of the
Chandrasekhar Committee were implemented and the
remaining two would be fulfilled soon. Among the other
recommendations already implemented were inclusion
of classification allowance for personnel below officer
rank from January 1, 2006 and removal of linkage of full
pension with 33 years from January 1, 2006 (the day Sixth
Pay Commission came into retrospective effect.The
government had also implemented revision of pension
for Lieutenant Generals after carving out a separate pay
scale for them; broad banding percentage of disability and
war injury pensions for pre-January 1, 2006, pensioners;
and removal of cap on war injury element of pension in the
case of disabled pensioners. Ex-servicemen organisations
had held protest marches all over the country last year to
press for the acceptance of their OROP demand by the
government and had also returned their service and gallantry
medals to President Pratibha Patil in protest over the delay
in its implementation. With these orders, the ministry has
implemented all the seven recommendations of committee
headed by Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar on pensions,
which would now be close to the 'One Rank-One Pension'
demand of ex-servicemen, senior ministry officials said
today.
"The Defence Ministry issued the orders on March 8
this year to implement the remaining two of the seven
suggestions of the Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar-
headed committee on 'One Rank-One Pension' demand,
" they said. The two recommendations for which the
orders were issued were bringing parity between pension
of pre- and post-October 10, 1999, personnel below officer
rank, and further improving their pensions based on award
of Group of Ministers in 2006. "With this order, the
pensionary benefits of officers and jawans comes to near
'One Rank-One Pension' (OROP) benefits sought by the
ex-servicemen," they added. To queries on the order,
Defence Ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said
implementation of the orders would not only significantly
reduce the gap between the past and current pensioners,
but would also considerably improve the pension of
ex-servicemen including disabled pensioners. "It will benefit
12 lakh ex-servicemen at a cost of Rs 2,200 crore
approximately annually," Kar added.Singh had told the Lok
Sabha on March 5, in reply to BJP leader L K Advani's
contention that OROP was not implemented, that five of
the seven recommendations of the Chandrasekhar
Committee were implemented and the remaining two
would be fulfilled soon. Among the other recommendations
already implemented were inclusion of classification
allowance for personnel below officer rank from January 1,
2006 and removal of linkage of full pension with 33 years
from January 1, 2006 (the day Sixth Pay Commission came
into retrospective effect). The government had also
implemented revision of pension for Lieutenant Generals
after carving out a separate pay scale for them; broad
banding percentage of disability and war injury pensions
for pre-January 1, 2006, pensioners; and removal of cap
on war
injury element of pension in the case of disabled
pensioners. Ex-servicemen organisations had held protest
marches all over the country last year to press for the
acceptance of their OROP demand by the government and
had also returned their service and gallantry medals to
President Pratibha Patil in protest over the delay in its
implementation. After the committee submitted its
recommendation early last year, Finance Minister Pranab
Mukherjee had announced in his budget speech on July 6,
2009, that the government had accepted the suggestions
and would implement it soon.