DoPT reins in other Ministries

Some ministries and departments, it seems, were issuing unilateral instructions concerning service conditions and entitlements of All India and Group A Service officers serving with them.

The ACC has now taken a grim view of the above and directed that no guidelines / instructions etc would be issued by any department or ministry concerning the service conditions or entitlements of any of the Central Services or of the All India Services.

The DoPT has issued a strict OM recently regarding the same which provides that all such instructions issued by any of the ministries or departments shall be treated as non-est and declared null and void by the DoPT.

So there goes the validity of ‘local instructions’ issued by various authorities at the instance of ‘influential staff’.

Some new orders for PSU absorbees

Some new clarifications have been issued for PSU absorbees with reference to their 1/3rd Commuted portion of pension.

The following are the two letters :

Govt of India Letter dated 19 Jan 2010

Govt of India Letter dated 27 Jan 2010

Thanks

Why the Annexures ?

This seems crazy.

Every time the govt comes up with pensionary benefits for veterans, instead of directing suo-moto revision by the Pension Sanctioning Authorities or Pension Disbursing Authorities in terms of the relevant orders, the retired service-members are asked to apply to the concerned authorities for revision of pension on complicated prescribed formats. But what about the millions of former military members who do not get a whiff of such revision orders and hence do not apply for such upward revision ? Can the govt be allowed to retain what rightfully belongs to such pensioners ?

This issue needs to be taken up with the govt at the earliest. A recent example would be the improvement in disability / war injury pensionary awards for which the affected personnel have been asked to apply on a prescribed format. What to talk of circulating such circulars all over, these documents are not even placed for public viewing on any website by the Central Govt’s Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare. This is in sharp contrast to the Department of Pensions on the civil side which proactively ensures that the information of beneficial provisions reaches all concerned.

But this is what takes the pie : In the year 1998, the Govt of India had decided to provide the benefit of 17 years of service for calculating pension of Naiks (also Corporals and Leading Seamen) who had retired between 01-01-1986 and 31-12-1995 with less than 17 years of qualifying service. This benefit was also extended to Hony Naiks and Time Scale Naiks. But keeping in view the red-tapist tradition of our State machinery, instead of revising the pension suo-moto on the basis of the data available with Record Offices or PCDA(P), such affected personnel were asked to apply on a prescribed application form for the said revision. Now don’t ask how these poor guys were expected to learn about these orders or the application forms, I have no answer !. Now in the year 2010, our people have decided to dispense with the application forms for these old pensioners and have directed suo-moto revision without requirement of a request from the pensioners’ side. Very prompt indeed, 1998 the orders were issued, and we have woken up in 2010.

These layers and layers of procedures is what we need to shed at the earliest.

Working couples…

Husband and wife both employed with the govt ?

Then you must read this.

Thanks

Reverse Pay Commission

I think it is time for a ‘reverse pay commission’ for our country.

The scales should start from Rs 80,000 per month for a Lower Division Clerk going up to Pay Band-1 with Grade Pay Rs 1900 for Secretary to Govt of India.

The reason is clear and there for all to see. It is the lower echelons of the steel frame who take ‘decisions’ and prepare file notings with all the might of concentrated negative unconstructive application of mind and energy, while the officers merely affix their initials. ‘The Secretary / Minister has seen’, the file would ultimately proclaim with pride. So who is actually involved in a tougher job ?

Pun intended.

Maybe somebody should have taken Dr N C Saxena, IAS, seriously

Union Home Secretary gives props to officership of the Army

“In the Army, the officer eats after his jawans, but in the police it is the opposite”, says Mr GK Pillai, the Union Home Secretary, while discussing the dismal state of the constabulary in India.

This and more on the subject alongwith comments by senior former police officers can be read by clicking here.

True words by Mr Pillai but are we doing anything about it ?. And before we start comparing the utter chaos in the rank and file of the police with the army, it must be pointed out that effective policing is the hallmark of all strong nations in the world today and it is the duty of all of us to make law enforcement more efficient in India in our own little ways as responsible citizens of the country.

A deeper insight on the issue was touched here on this blog via Abhinav Kumar’s response to a blog-post. Perhaps we need more out-of-the-box thinkers like him in the police today.

Serving Major pays for his life while engaging miscreant

In an unfortunate incident, an AMC Major was murdered by a chain-snatcher in Tiruchy when he tried to rescue his wife.

Major R Ramesh was on TD in Tiruchy for recruitment duty. The brave officer came rushing to his wife when he saw the miscreant snatching her jewellery. The officer gave a chase and caught hold of the snatcher who then stabbed him in the throat. Maj Ramesh succumbed to his injuries in a private hospital.

Let us hope local military authorities provide all possible help to the family in dealing with this grave loss.

While the news was not much covered, it can be accessed here at the Deccan Chronicle.

Our condolences to the family.

All Lt Cols authorised residential telephone

All Lt Cols across the board have now been authorised residential telephone at home as per orders issued by the MoD.

The facility would be provided through military network as far as possible and if not so provided then a re-imbursement of Rs 1500/- per month can be claimed through contingency grants.

The authorisation would be read in conjunction with the earlier letters issued on the subject by the Ministry of Finance.

The govt letter on the subject can be downloaded here.

Govt becomes more proactive : implements proper guidelines to deal with complaints against Secretaries to Govt of India

Earlier, complaints against Secys to GoI were simply endorsed to the DoPT or concerned Ministries for action but the said system was found to be faulty.

From now on, all complaints against Secys to GoI, including pseudonymous ones, would be referred to a proper committee under the Cabinet Secretary. The said committee would have other independent members in the form of Secy to the PM, Secy (Co-ord) of the Cabinet Secretariat, Secy DoPT and Secy CVC.

In case the committee finds some substance in the complaint, or feels that the allegations are verifiable, then it may, at its option, call for the relevant records and files and even property returns etc and seek comments from the Secy concerned. In case of substance in the complaint, the committee would take decision on the further course of action such as nature of investigation required. Further reference to the disciplinary authority would also be under the purview of the committee. The CVC would also be regularly kept in picture of the proceedings of the committee.

Though naysayers would jump on the bandwagon saying that babus should not be made to sit in judgement over their own brethren, a deeper analysis would show that such a system involving more officers is always much more democratic and well-rounded than just one person deciding on such complaints.

The govt letter on the above can be seen here.

A slight amendment

A slight amendment in this post regarding improvement in pension of Lt Gens.

The govt sanction letter can be now downloaded by clicking here.

A pension of Rs 36,500/- per month and an ordinary family pension of Rs 21,900/- per month shall be admissible from 01 Jan 2006 and not with effect from 01 Sept 2008 as earlier mentioned here.

Thanks

Don’t buy this theory

There is apparently a doctored letter from the DoPT being circulated amongst military circles which talks of upgradation of Grade Pays of serving officers of the defence services.

It’s a fake. Please use your trash can.

It is a mischievous combination of the following two documents :

(a) This letter issued by the DoPT for civil servants and discussed earlier on this blog.

AND

(b) One of my recommendations for grade and pay progression for defence officers vis-à-vis civil officers also discussed earlier on the blog.

Some fertile minds at work. Please ignore.

Moreover I would again like to re-iterate that bringing down of residency periods for promotion on the civil side has no relation with actual accelerated promotions on ground.

Major Subir Raha is no more

Major Subir Raha, former Chairperson ONGC and a fellow Territorial Army volunteer, passed away yesterday.

Maj Raha was suffering from lung cancer. He was 62. He is known for taking the ONGC to new heights as its Chief. Ironically though, he was refused extension as the head of ONGC after a run-in with certain elements of higher governance. An enthusiastic TA volunteer, he was on the forefront during the mobilisation of his unit for military duties.

The TA fraternity shall miss him.

The news on his sad demise can be accessed by clicking here.

An old interview can be accessed by clicking here.