Meeting today to discuss pay, pension of Armed forces and One Pension One Rank issue.

Meeting today to discuss pay, pension of Armed forces and One Pension One Rank issue.

The three Service chiefs, led by Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, Naval chief Admiral Nirmal Verma, will today meet the Committee of Secretaries to discuss upon strong demands from armed personnel and ex-servicemen for One Rank One Pension and to push for their demands further.

The six-member committee was set up by the Prime Minister under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary after a Rajya Sabha panel last year recommended granting One Rank One Pension to the retired Defence personnel. The government has asked the committee to submit its report by August 8.

The other core issues that the Service chiefs will push for are fixation of the rank pay, fixation of pay structure for jawans and non-functional upgradation granted to civilian counterparts but not to Defence personnel. These, the Defence personnel say, have been six core anomalies from the provisions of the Sixth Pay Commission granted in 2008.

Service chiefs also want a military representative on the committee.

The One Rank One Pay scheme implies that uniform pension be paid to the armed forces personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service irrespective of their date of retirement, and any future enhancement in the rates of pension be automatically passed on to past pensioners.

The Defence personnel had written to the Prime Minister earlier this month appealing for justice.

Read more : NDTV

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One Rank One Pension for ex-servicemen

One Rank One Pension for ex-servicemen

The Parliamentary Standing committee on Defence has urged the government to reconsider the demand of “One Rank One Pension” for the ex-servicemen.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence (15th LOK SABHA) on 1st and 7th Reports reiterated that the Government should consider the issue of ‘One Rank One Pension’ afresh. Since the issue of One Rank One Pension was not accepted in the past and more recently the Cabinet Secretary’s Committee set up to consider it also did not recommend the same, it has not been found feasible to accept the demand of One Rank One Pension.

In the case of Original Application No. 15 and 45/2010 the Armed Forces Tribunal, Chandigarh had passed the order dated 3.3.2010 with directions to the respondents to take final decision in the matter.

The said order was examined and speaking orders explaining the position were issued on 10.07.2010 to the petitioners.

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Shri MM Pallam Raju in a written reply to Shri Vilas Muttemwar and others in Lok Sabha today.

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Anomalies in pension of majors removed - Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT)

Anomalies in pension of majors removed
Those who retired before 2006 to benefit
Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 14
Holding that the pension shall not be less than 50 per cent of the minimum pay within the pay-band, the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) today allowed a petition filed by majors and equivalents that would now entitle them to enhanced pension.

With the removal of existing anomalies that had resulted in majors, who retired prior to 2006, getting pension lower than even junior commissioned officers, they would now be paid an additional basic pension of about Rs 5,000 per month, besides consequential benefits. The order affects a substantial number of officers of the three services who had retired in the rank of major prior to 2006.

After the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission (SPC), the pension of majors was fixed at Rs 14,100 per month. This was less than what JCOs, four ranks below their grade, have been getting (Rs 16,145).

The anomaly in pension fixation arose because the minimum of the entire pay-band (PB-3) was taken into account while fixing the pension instead of considering the minimum of the pay-band applicable to majors. PB-3 (Rs 15,600-39,100) includes officers of the ranks of lieutenant to major and equivalents in other services. The minimum scale of major post-SPC is Rs 23,810.

The petitioners had contended that the existing basic pay, inclusive of grade pay and military service pay, worked out to be Rs 36,410, hence their pension at the stipulated 50 per cent of basic worked out to be Rs 18,205 per month, to which they were entitled.

In December, 2004, all majors with 13-year experience and having requisite qualifications were promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel (time scale) and the policy has continued since then. Following the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission, all 35 categories of services were merged into four pay bands in which lieutenant colonels were initially placed in pay band-3, but later moved to pay band-4.

The pension of lieutenant colonel is fixed at Rs 25,700 whereas that of majors who retired before 2006 is Rs 14,100, creating a huge difference of Rs 11,600, the petitioners claimed. Prior to the Sixth Pay Commission, the difference was just Rs 950.

In fact, the Department of Pensions (DoP) had raised the issue of incorrect interpretation of pension fixation rules of pre-2006 majors with the Department of Expenditure (DoE) and that it needed to be corrected. Despite the fact that the ministers of finance as well as personnel were in favour of the correction, the bureaucracy in the Ministry of Finance put a spanner in the work. The case was taken up time and again by the DoP, but was always rejected by the DoE.

Source: Tribuneindia

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Govt implementing One-Rank One-Pension for ex-servicemen

Govt implementing One-Rank One-Pension for ex-servicemen

Appealing to ex-servicemen not to take the extreme step of returning their gallantry awards, government today said it has started implementing recommendations of the high level panel on One-Rank One-Pension.

However, Defence Minister A K Antony said in the Rajya Sabha that implementing the award in one go was difficult.

"In one stretch, we will not be able to implement it but we are near that goal... it is a long process," he said.

He said the government has implemented all recommendations of the committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary which went into the demands for One-Rank One-Pension.

This would have a financial implication of Rs 2,200 crore and would help 12 lakh ex-servicemen, he said.


Source: PTI

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Main aspects of one-rank one-pension addressed: Govt.

Main aspects of one-rank one-pension addressed: Govt.

With ex-servicemen protesting over the one-rank one-pension issue, Government has said the main aspects of the demand have already been addressed which are benefitting around 12 lakh personnel.

"The main aspects have already been addressed in-principle and there has been a substantial addressing of the issue and I think 12 lakh personnel below officer rank have benefitted because of these decisions," Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju said in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Ex-servicemen have been demanding equal pension for personnel retiring from the same rank irrespective of their date of retirement.

Persons retiring before the pay commission cut-off date get lesser pension than those retiring after that date.

Recently, while replying to a Parliamentary query, Raju had stated that government had accepted several recommendations of a Committee looking into the 'one rank one pension' demand to improve benefits of armed forces pensioners.

Among the recommendations were revision of Lt Generals' pension after carving out a separate pay scale for them and bringing parity between pension of pre- and post-October 10, 1997 for pensioners of personnel below officer rank. Fifth Pay Commission was implemented on that day.

He had said that around 12 lakh pensioners have benefitted by the government's decisions.
Source: DD News

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Welfare Of Defence Personnel - "One Rank One Pension"

Welfare Of Defence Personnel

A committee was constituted under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary to look in the issue of ‘One Rank One Pension and other related issues’. After considering all aspects and keeping in mind the spirit of the demand, several recommendations to substantially improve pensionary benefits of Armed Forces pensioners have been made, which have been accepted and are as follows:-

(i) Inclusion of classification Allowance for PBOR from January 01, 2006.

(ii) Removal of linkage of full pension with 33 years from January 01, 2006.

(iii) Revision of Lt General Pension after carving out a separate pay scale for them.

(iv) Bringing parity between pension of pre and post October 10, 1997 PBOR pensioners.

(v) Further improving PBOR pensions based on award of Group of Ministers 2006.

(vi) Broad banding percentage of disability /war injury pensions for pre- January 01, 2006 disability/war injury pensioners.

(vii) Removal of cap on war injury element of pension in the case of disabled pensioners belong to Category E.

Government orders in implementation of the same have been issued on October 30, 2009, January 19, 2010, January 20, 2010 and March 08, 2010. Approximately 12 lac pensioners are benefitted by the recommendations.

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Shri MM Pallam Raju in a written reply to Smt Sumitra Mahajan in Lok Sabha today.
PIB

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Discrepancies in One Rank One Pension Scheme

A Committee was constituted under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary to look into the issue of One Rank One Pension and other related matters. After considering all aspects of the issue, the Committee did not find it administratively feasible to recommend One Rank One Pension, as such. However, several other recommendations to substantially improve pensionary benefits of Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR) and Commissioned officers have been made, which have been accepted by the Government:-

(i) Inclusion of Classification Allowance for PBOR from Jan 01, 2006.

(ii) Removal of linkage of full pension with 33 years from Jan 01, 2006.

(iii) Revision of Lt Gen Pension after carving out a separate pay scale for them.

(iv) Bringing parity between pension of pre and post October 10, 1997 PBOR pensioners.

(v) Further improving PBOR pensions based on award of GOM, 2006. (vi) Broadbanding of percentage of disability/war injury pension for pre Jan 01, 1996 disability/war injury pensioners.

(vii) Removal of cap on war injury element of pension in the case of disabled pensioners belonging to Category ‘E’.

Recommendations at (i) and (ii) stand implemented by issue of Government letter dated October 30, 2009.

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Shri MM Pallam Raju in a written reply to Smt Sushma Swaraj and others in Lok Sabha today.

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Hike in pension to benefit 12 lakh jawans: PM

Hike in pension to benefit 12 lakh jawans: Prime Minister

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said on Saturday that the government's decision to increase the pension of retired jawans and Junior Commission Officers (JCOs) will benefit 12 lakh ex-servicemen and their families.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said on Saturday that the government's decision to increase the pension of retired jawans and Junior Commission Officers (JCOs) will benefit 12 lakh ex-servicemen and their families.

"We have accepted the recommendations of the committee constituted to examine the issue of pension of ex-servicemen. This will lead to increased pension for about 12 lakh retired jawans and JCOs," Singh said in his address after unfurling the national flag at the ramparts of Red Fort here on the occasion of 63rd Independence Day.

"We are proud of our brave soldiers. It is our duty to ensure the ex-servicemen are able to lead a life of comfort, " he added.

Meeting a long-pending demand, the government had last month announced in the General Budget that it accepted the recommendations of Committee headed by Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar to substantially increase the pension of retired Army men.

The revised pension was implemented beginning July this year and it was an attempt to bring it as nearer to the 'One Rank-One Pension' demand of armed forces as possible.

The decision to increase the pension for defence personnel would cost the exchequer over Rs 2,100 crore annually.

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‘One rank, one pension’ including officers - Defence Minister clarified in Lok Sabha

Defence Minister A K Antony today clarified in the Lok Sabha that "one rank, one pension" recommendation of the Cabinet Secretary-led panel had been accepted by the government for jawans as well as officers.

The government has accepted recommendations of the panel on "one rank, one pension" and other related matters concerning the armed forces, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

The decision is now nearer to the goal of “one rank, one pension” demand of nearly 1.5 million personnel, Antony said during question hour.

The total financial implications on account of benefits to the personnel would be Rs 2,144 crore, the minister said.

The committee has recommended inclusion of Classification Allowance for the Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR) from January 1, 2006, and removal of linkage of full pensions with 33 years from the same date, he said.

The committee also recommended revision of pension of Lt Generals after carrying out a separate pay scale for them, bringing parity between pension pre and post October 10, 1997, for PBOR pensioners and further improving PBOR pensions based on award of Group of Ministers in 2006.

With regard to the separate pay commission, the minister said it had been agreed, and as and when necessary it would be set up in the future.

Antony said the government had also accepted the committee's recommendations regarding raising the pension amount for those disabled or injured in war.

"After considering all aspects of the issue, the committee made several recommendations to substantially improve pensionary benefits of Personnel Below Officer Rank and Commissioned Officers, which have been accepted by the government," the minister added.

Source: The Tribune

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Jawans win pension battle

The battle was fought over a decade during which hundreds of war medals had been surrendered and many courted arrests but the struggle of the former jawans of the Indian defence services ended only today with a victory.

Pranab Mukherjee, the country’s finance minister finally announced the government’s decision to accept the one-rank-one-pension system for retired personnel. This essentially means that all jawans of a particular rank will get the same pension irrespective of their year of retirement.

Jawans who retired after 1997 — just after the Fifth Pay Commission in 1995 — had been getting more pension than their counterparts who retired before the cut-odd year of 1997. The Sixth pay Commission only widened the gap.

Mukherjee, during his budget speech today, said: “Our country owes a deep debt of gratitude to our valiant ex-servicemen. The committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary on OROP (one rank one pension) has submitted its report and the recommendations of the committee have been accepted”.

The minister also spelt out the details of the OROP during his speech: “On the basis of these recommendations, the government has decided to substantially improve the pension of pre-1.1.2006 defence pensioners below officer rank (PBOR) and bring pre 10.10.1997 pensioners on par with post 10.10.1997 pensioners.

“Both these decisions will be implemented from 1st July 2009 resulting in enhanced pension for more than 12 lakh jawans and JCOs.”

For people, like Col (retd) K. Tshering, the president of the Indian Ex-Services League (Darjeeling branch), the announcement is momentous.

“We have been agitating for so long. In February, we went to the Jantar Mantar and staged a dharna there. More than 3,600 ex-servicemen surrendered their war medals to the President of India to demand implementation of this OROP system.

“Lt General (retd) Raj Kadyan, who has been leading the movement, had also courted arrest. Ultimately, our movement has borne fruit,” Tshering told The Telegraph over the phone from Cooch Behar.

“There was a huge gap,” he said.

According to Tshering, havildars who had retired before 1997 were getting a monthly pension of about Rs 3,700 while a jawan of the same rank is now entitled to Rs 7.600 as his monthly annuity benefit.

In fact, the decision to implement the OROP scheme will benefit around 40,000 retired jawans in the hills.

Before the Lok Sabha elections this year, the BJP, had in its manifesto promised to implement the OROP if voted to power. The UPA manifesto, was however, silent on the ex-serviceman’s demand.

Tshering said the Indian Ex-servicemen Movement for the welfare of retired soldiers has been fighting for five demands. “One of the most important one has now been fulfilled.”

The other four demands are:

1.Employment in the army till the age of 60 (jawans now retire at 33 years)

2.Setting up of a separate Army Pay Commission

3.An Army Welfare Commission on the lines of the Minority Commission

4.Annual Leave Travel Concession to continue after retirement like the Indian Railways does for its employees

Source: The Telegraph

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One rank one pension for ex-servicemen

One rank one pension for ex-servicemen

our country owes a deep debt of gratitude to our valiant ex-Servicemen. The Government has decided to substantially improve the pension of pre 1.1.2006 defence pensioners below officer rank (PBOR) and bring pre 10.10.1997 pensioners on par with post 10.10.1997 pensioners.

The Committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary on OROP has submitted its report and the recommendations of the Committee have been accepted. On the basis of these recommendations, both these decisions will be implemented from 1st July 2009 resulting in enhanced pension for more than 12 lakh jawans and JCOs.

These measures will cost the exchequer more than Rs 2,100 crore annually. Certain pension benefits being extended to war wounded and other disabled pensioners are also being liberalised.
Source:The Economic Times

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Centre working on next-best option to one-rank, one-pay

The government seems all set to upwardly revise pension of ex-servicemen to bring them closer to the long-demanded “ one rank, one-pension” mechanism.

Though holding that full OROP is neither financially nor administratively possible, the government promises to resolve the existing anomalies in the pension structures of ex-servicemen which have been accentuated by the 6th Pay Commission.

On Thursday, cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar, who heads the committee of secretaries (CoS) looking into the issue, made a presentation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He is also said to have discussed the pros and cons of granting the OROP demand based on the nearly two-month study that the committee carried out on the subject.

Others present during the presentation included finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, defence minister A K Antony, home minister P Chidambaram and minister of state (personnel) Prithviraj Chavan. The UPA government has already committed itself to taking a decision on the subject by the end of June in President Pratibha Patil’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament on June4.

Just before the crucial fourth phase of polling on May 7, the defence ministry had declared that a committee headed by the cabinet secretary had been constituted to ‘‘reduce the gap in the pensionary benefits to officers and jawans, bringing it as close to OROP as possible’’.
Source: The Times of India

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