Disabled veterans have been given the impression that the defence ministry has introduced some kind of a new allowance for disability pensioners @ Rs 3000 per month. The confusion emanates from a recent speech by the Defence Minister at an official function, where, according to media reports, he stated the following :
''Keeping in view the valour and sacrifice made by the army personnel, those who retired on disability grounds would get an additional Rs 3000 per month as constant attendant in additional (sic) to the disability pension”
This is grossly misleading, and for three compelling reasons, departmental action should be taken against the person who prepared the Defence Minister’s speech. Firstly, Constant Attendant Allowance (CAA) is nothing new and has been in force since times immemorial, it has merely been enhanced from the earlier Rs 600 per month to Rs 3000 per month w.e.f 01-01-2006 by the 6th CPC by way of its recommendations presented way back in March 2008. The defence ministry or the govt had no role to play in this enhancement which anyway is stale news and our Minister is late by some years in getting to know about it. Even otherwise, the amount is totally inadequate since no full time attendant can be hired in Rs 3000 which is less than even the prescribed minimum wages. Secondly, it has nothing to do with the ‘valour’ or ‘sacrifice’ by ‘army’ personnel since it is available across the board to civil central govt employees as well. Thirdly, it is not available to all disabled personnel but only to those who are 100% disabled.
This is another example as to how lower level bureaucracy has managed to convince even the political executive about this non-existent imaginary benevolence. Those who have touted this to the media as an ‘announcement’ should definitely face the music for misguiding the Minister and misleading the media and the public at large.
6 comments:
dear navdeep sir,
does no one in the IHQ or the MOD even read the points you raise,there is neither a rebuttal of your points nor do they bother to clarify or take up the matter to correct the picture, why are our own not taking up the matter, amit
Dear Major Navdeep,
You have pointed out the facts and method of working of the lower level bureaucracy in a precise manner.
Only "selected" parts or sentences of past orders/ concerned reports/ recommendations/ court judgments etc- irrespective of the fact whether they are "relevant or "operative" or not, are quoted and put up in file notes for higher level processing and the same are BLINDLY APPROCED without application of any higher order scrutiny to see whether the same are "in context" or "out of context"!!
Decision mnaking has become a fait-accompli to the lower level "file-notes".
Recent examples galore. Numerous tribunal/ court cases on SCPC implementations consequent to OMs of 3rd and 14th Oct 2008 of DOPPW and similar orders from Defence Pension authorities are GLARING EXAMPLES. Concerned Ministries are also silent participants and are unable to PROTECT the INTERESTS of their own ex-personnel!
Now Hon. Ministers also appear to be dancing to the tunes of such outcomes, having NO POWER WITH THEM TO PLAY THEIR CORRECT ROLES!
Dear sir,
This is how our govt works and service/vetern personnel are made to believe something new has been approved only for the Army, as a feel good factor.Any how, those who are within services today, do not want to waste their energy and time to think about such issues as it does not affect them.It would be too late to realize when they would be in need/affected.
If anyone is at fault in making this 'misleading' statement, it should be the person making the statement himself. How he controls his misguiding staff is his business and part of his job description for which he is bestowed with adequate power. only blind men can blame others for being misled!
Maj Navdeepji, an unrelated article, but you may decipher, what is there for DEFENCE Forces Gp A Officers:
http://cgstaffnews.com/?p=2210 :
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NO. AB.14017/16/2010-Estt.(RR)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Department of Personnel and Training
—
New Delhi, the 10th June, 2010
Office Memorandum
Subject:- Non-Functional Upgradation (NFU) for Officers of Organised Group ‘A’ Services in PB-3 and PB-4
...
In case no IAS Officer is available for comparison in STS grade, grant of Non-Functional Upgradation to STS level may be allowed after 7 years of service as Group ‘A’. This upgradation shall be subject to the terms and conditions specified in this Department OM dated 24.04.09.
....
Regards to all
Dear
Major Navdeep,
Any news about improvement in the disability pension for pre 1-1-06 retirees.
Presently maximum disability pension for 100% disability for pre 1-1-06 retirees is Rs 5880 pm only.
For post 1-1-06 retirees the rate of disability pension for 100% disability is 30% of last pay .
The difference is glaring and great injustice to pre 1-1-06 retirees.
For pre 1-1-06 retirees , it should be fixed at 60% of service pension , as service pension is supposed to be 50% of last /avarage pay.
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