CHRONOLOGY OF NEWS - GOI/HON RM FAVOURS ARMED FORCES (PBORs) - WANTS ANOMALIES IN 6TH CPC SORTED OUT

      THE FOLLOWING NEWS ITEMS(PBORs ISSUES FOR THE LAST ONE YEAR COMPILED) ARE POSTED BELOW FOR THE BENEFIT OF INFORMATION OF ALL VETERAN BROTHERS:-
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ANTONY WANTS ANOMALIES IN 6TH CPC SORTED OUT
September 19th, 2008 - 9:29 pm ICT by ANI -

New Delhi, Sep 19 (ANI): Defence Minister A K Antony has strongly favoured sorting out of anomalies in the Sixth Central Pay Commission (CPC) notification raised by the three services chiefs in their representation to the government. In his latest letter to Finance Minister P Chidambaram this week, Antony raised the issues, including the ones relating to Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBORs), top Defence Ministry sources said in New Delhi on Friday.

Yes, the Defence Minister has written a letter to the Finance Minister in which he has raised certain issues relating to the disparities that has crept into the pay commission notification, the sources confirmed. Among the issues raised by Antony was the one relating to the extant pensionary weightage and sought that it be restored till the time the proposal for lateral entry for them into paramilitary and central police forces was approved and implemented.

Under the Sixth CPC proposal, the PBORs are to be given an opportunity for lateral entry into the paramilitary and central police forces, but they would forego 50 per cent of their pension calculated on the basis of their last drawn pay at retirement.

But the government is yet to approve the proposal for lateral entry, which has led to a situation where the PBORs lose out both on re-employment and pension fronts. Most PBORs retire at a relatively young age of about 35 years, after putting in about 15 to 17 years of service in the armed forces, a move aimed at keeping the fighting force young
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PAY PANEL IMBROGLIO : ANTONY SUPPORTS NON OFFICER CADRE


September 19th, 2008 - 9:16 pm ICT by IANS -

New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) In what is seen as a set back to the cause of armed forces officers fretting over being short changed by a pay panel’s recommendations, Defence Minister A.K. Antony has written the finance ministry to examine a major grouse of personnel below officer rank (PBOR).Hitherto, PBORs had been drawing pension in proportion to their years of service. However, the Sixth Pay Commission has recommended that their pension would be half of the last pay drawn.

“Antony has written a letter to the finance ministry strongly recommending that PBORs be granted pension in proportion to the number of years they have served,” a defence ministry official said Friday.
Antony wrote the letter earlier this week. The pension demand is one of the core issues raised by the armed forces in relation to the pay panel report. However, since Antony’s letter only speaks about PBORs, this is an indication that the other issues pertaining to the officer cadre has been put on the back burner.

“The PBORs are at a disadvantage as they retire early and thus draw lesser pay and consequently end up getting a lower pension,” Indian Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta, who is also the chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, had said in a letter to the defence minister in Sep
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ARMED FORCES UNHAPPY, DEMAND RESTORATION OF STATUS


February 7th, 2009 - 11:07 am ICT by ANI -
By Praful Kumar Singh

New Delhi, Feb 7 (ANI): The armed forces are unhappy over the dilly dallying tactics of the government with regard to their demands on the Sixth Pay Commission. The demands of men in uniform, which have been met partially after a long delay, suggest that the quest for equal status with the civilian arm has been brushed aside with disdain.

In wake of the Mumbai terror strikes and rising tension with our neighbours, the government needs to be firm in decision-making, and ensure the strength and morale of its armed forces remains intact. The self-pride of the armed forces is being subverted by narrow minded interests, said a senior army officer.

The three major demands of the armed forces are — a hike in pension (70 percent of the last pay drawn) in respect of personnel other than officers; restoration of the status of Lt Colonels in the higher pay band (Pay Band-IV); and restoration in the status of Lt Generals vis-a-vis Director Generals of Police (DGPs).

The first demand has been met, but the other two demands, for restoration in status of Lt Colonels and Lt Generals have either been rejected or have come with certain restrictions, making it ineffective.

A new category of Higher Administrative Grade Plus has been created in all services, except the armed forces, under which the Director General level officers have been placed. These HAG Plus officers have been placed in a Pay Band higher than that of even Lt. Generals in the Army and their equivalents in the Navy and Air Forces.

Sixth Pay Commission did not create the demands, but the bureaucracy has created these anomalies to undermine the status of officers of the armed forces, the senior officer said. The bureaucrats and the police hierarchy are trying to denigrate the armed forces out of sheer complex and to promote their own vested interests. The officer further said that delaying tactics is going on by the bureaucracy and the government is just setting up one committee after another to buy time and to ward off genuine demands.

If the PMO and the ministerial committee headed by Pranab Mukherjee, and the Group of Ministers that have all powers, cant resolve the pay commission grievances, then no one is going to look after the demands, he added. The official said that it is sheer unwillingness on the part of the government to meet the grievances of the armed forces. The status of DGPs vis-a-vis Lt. Generals till Fourth Pay Commission was of a junior officer and the Fifth Pay Commission granted them parity. The Sixth Pay Commission rejected the demand of giving DGPs seniority in status in comparison to Lt. Generals, but the IPS lobby in collusion with committee of secretaries gained seniority.

During the Fifth Pay Commission, 41 out of 48 demands of the armed forces were not met.
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A SEPARATE PAY COMMISSION FOR ARMED FORC ES


January 1st, 2009 - 6:32 pm ICT by ANI -

New Delhi, Jan 1 (ANI): As a New Year gift for the armed forces, the Indian Government has decided to create a separate pay commission for the armed forces. The government granted the demand for placing 12,000 Lieutenant Colonels and their equivalents in Navy and Air Force in pay band four of the Sixth Central Pay Commission.

Sources have said that the armed forces personnel would have a separate pay commission, which will not be linked with the civilian pay panel. The Prime Minister’’s Office has already sent its directions on this matter to the Defence Ministry. (ANI
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ARMED FORCES' SUGGESTIONS SOUGHT ON SEPARATE PAY PANEL


January 7th, 2009 - 8:04 pm ICT by IANS -

New Delhi, Jan 7 (IANS) The armed forces were Wednesday asked for their suggestions on a separate pay panel that the Prime Minister’s Office has cleared for them, an official said.”The service headquarters have received a note from the defence ministry seeking suggestions on how to go about constituting a separate pay panel for the defence forces,” the official added, requesting anonymity.

The note was sent along with a letter from the PMO on the decision on a separate pay commission for the armed forces to delink their salary revision from other government employees. While agreeing to give more pay to lieutenant-colonels in the Indian Army and their equivalents in the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force, the Prime Minister’s Office Dec 31, 2008 sent a letter to the cabinet secretary informing him about the decision on a separate pay commission for the armed forces.
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ADVANI PROMISES ONE-RANK-ONE-PENSION FOR EX-DEFENCE PERSONNEL


March 16th, 2009 - 7:48 pm ICT by ANI -

New Delhi, Mar 16 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L K Advani, on Monday acknowledged the need of implementation of one-rank one-pension for ex-defence servicemen. “Armed forces are a category apart. And therefore this question of one rank, one pension has to be properly dealt with and justly endorsed,” said Advani. Addressing a gathering in New Delhi while releasing “Guarding India’’s Integrity”, an autobiography of Lt-Gen (Retd) S K Sinha, Advani said that he wants his party to incorporate this demand in it’’s agenda for governance. “I can only say that my colleagues who are preparing the (BJP) manifesto and agenda for governance…I want that they should take a pledge to resolve this issue also,” he said. Advani expressed regret over the return of medals by some retired defence personnel in protest of government’’s failure to implement their demand. “Many delegations of ex-servicemen have called on me in recent months and I am convinced of the justness of this demand. We are fully committed to implementing the ”One Rank One Pension” policy if we win the people’’s mandate in the forthcoming parliamentary elections,” he said. Former soldiers under the Indian Ex-servicemen Movement have been demanding that the defense personnel should get the same pension, irrespective of the date on which the soldier retires. The pension rises time to time with wage revision. Retired soldiers of varying ranks had returned 7,500 medals won in combat and for distinguished service on March 14 in pursuit of their demand. (ANI)
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HIGH LEVEL COMMITTEES TO LOOK AT EX-SERVICEMEN'S ‘ONE-RANK-ONE-PENSION’ DEMAND


May 4th, 2009 - 6:43 pm ICT by ANI -
By Praful Kumar Singh

New Delhi, May 4 (ANI): Heeding the long held demand of retired defence personnel, the Government has constituted two high-level committees to look into the various issues concerning ‘One Rank, One Pension’ of ex-servicemen. In the absence of ‘One Rank-One Pension’, anomalies in the pension of two persons of same rank arise and also there are instances of hundreds of war veterans drawing lower amount of pension as compared to personnel who retired in the recent past.

The Government has constituted a high level committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary to reduce the gap in the pensionary benefits to soldiers and officers and bring it as close to ‘One Rank, One Pension’.
“The other members of the committee are Defence Secretary, Home Secretary, Secretary (Personnel), Secretary (Expenditure), and Secretary (Ex-Servicemen Welfare),” said a senior Defence ministry source.

Financially the decision will additionally cost the government around 500-600 crore per annum and would be much less than the estimated financial liability for grant of OROP, the source said. The other committee set up by the Ministry of Defence will be headed by Secretary (Defence Finance), Indu Liberhan, to sort out anomalies in the implementation of orders relating to armed forces pensioners.

The Sixth Pay Commission report had recommended 50 per cent weightage for armed forces PBORs during retirement, whereas earlier they would receive 70 per cent weightage until rehabilitated in other paramilitary forces. (ANI)
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ELECTION COMMISSION ISSUES NOTICE TO CABINET SECRETARY


May 6th, 2009 - 8:12 pm ICT by IANS -

New Delhi, May 6 (IANS) The Election Commission Wednesday took strong note of the government’s reported decision of setting up a high-level committee to consider the ex-servicemen’s one rank-one pension demand that may be in violation of the poll conduct code. The poll panel issued notice to union Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar seeking clarification from him on media reports about the decision. According to the reports, the government Tuesday set up a high-level committee headed by the cabinet secretary to consider the ex-servicemen’s demand and reduce the gap in their pensionary benefits. “Based on the media reports, the commission decided to issue notice to (the) cabinet secretary, seeking his clarification on the matter,” Deputy Election Commissioner R. Balakrishnan said.

The government’s decision comes after a large number of ex-servicemen criticised it for ignoring their demand and vowed to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the polls.
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‘NO PANEL ON EX-SERVICEMEN'S PAY ANOMALIES'


May 11th, 2009 - 10:36 pm ICT by IANS -

New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) The government has not constituted a committee to consider a demand for reducing the gap in the retirement benefits of armed forces personnel, the Election Commission was told Monday. The Commission last week issued notice to Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar seeking a clarification on media reports that the government had set up a high-level committee to consider the ex-servicemen’s one rank-one pension demand. Had the panel been set up, it would be considered a violation of the poll conduct code, the Commission said in its notice. “Cabinet secretary has submitted his reply stating that no special committee has been constituted to consider one rank-one pension demand,” Deputy Election Commissioner R. Balakrishnan told reporters
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REPORT ON ONE-RANK-ONE-PENSION BY MONTH END : PRESIDENT


June 4th, 2009 - 1:21 pm ICT by IANS -

New Delhi, June 4 (IANS) President Pratibha Patil Thursday said that the cabinet committee formed to look into the long standing ‘one rank one pension’ demand of armed forces veterans will submit its report by the end of June. “The welfare of ex-servicemen will continue to be accorded high priority. The committee headed by the cabinet secretary to look into the issue of of one rank one pension has already commenced its work and expects to complete it by the end of June 2009,” the president said in her address to a joint session of both houses in parliament.

The government formed the panel headed by cabinet secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar after many ex-servicemen returned their medals to protest the rejection of their ‘one rank one pension’ demand.
Ex-servicemen have so far returned about 13,000 medals won in combat or for distinguished service to Patil, who is the supreme commander of the armed forces.

However, the president has not met the protesters, who have handed over the medals in three batches to a member of her staff. The Indian Ex-Servicemen’s Movement (IESM) says that irrespective of the date on which a soldier retires, he or she should get the same pension. The government had rejected this demand earlier this year, pointing to the logistical and financial problems it would create. Patil also talked about modernisation of the armed forces to counter the threat to the country.

“They (the armed forces) will be fully enabled with modern technology to repel any threat from land, sea or air. To enhance combat efficiency as also to address the requirements of the modern day warfare, a number of steps are underway,” she said.
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DEFENCE PAY COMMITTEE MAKES PRESENTATION BEFORE  PM


June 25th, 2009 - 10:52 pm ICT by IANS -

New Delhi, June 25 (IANS) A committee looking into the defence personnel’s demand for pay review Thursday made a presentation before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, an official release said. “The committee of secretaries headed by the cabinet secretary (K.M. Chandrasekhar) on matters related to ‘One Rank-One Pension’ made a presentation to the prime minister. Those present were Finance Minister (Pranab Mukherjee), Defense Minister (A.K. Antony), Home Minister (P. Chidambaram) and Minister of State (Personnel) (Prithviraj Chavan),” the statement said.

The government formed the panel after many ex-servicemen returned their medals to protest against the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations and the rejection of their ‘one rank one pension’ demand.
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SOLDIERS, JCOs PENSION UPPED ; OFFICERS IGNORED


July 6th, 2009 - 2:51 pm ICT by IANS -

New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) The Indian government Monday partially met the “one-rank-one-pension” (OROP) demand of the armed forces, announcing enhanced pensions for soldiers and junior commissioned officers (JCOs) that will entail additional expenditure of Rs.2,100 crores per year.
Officers, however, who had initiated the OROP demand, have been ignored. The decision will benefit more than 12 lakh jawans (soldiers) and JCOs. Certain benefits being extended to war wounded and other disabled pensioners are also being liberalised,” Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said while presenting the budget for 2009-10 in the Lok Sabha.

Stating that the country owed a deep dept of gratitude to “our valiant ex-servicemen”, the minister
said the committee headed by the cabinet secretary on OROP had submitted its report and the recommendations of the committee had been accepted. “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. “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,” Mukherjee said.
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ONE-RANK-ONE-PENSION DEMAND ACCEPTED : ANTONY


July 13th, 2009 - 10:05 pm ICT by IANS -

New Delhi, July 13 (IANS) The government has accepted the one-rank-one-pension (OROP) demand for armed forces officers and personnel below officer rank (PBOR) and will also set up a separate pay panel for the military, parliament was informed Monday. However, from Defence Minister A.K. Antony reply during question hour in the Lok Sabha, it is evident that the OROP demand has not been accepted in its entirety. “The decision is now nearer to the goal of one-rank-one-pension demand of nearly 1.5 million personnel,” Antony said, adding: “The financial implication would be Rs.2,144 crore,” the minister added.

The demand had been considered by a high-level committee headed by Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrashekhar, to which the issue had been referred after armed forces personnel began returning their gallantry and distinguished service awards to protest the government’s inaction. “After considering all aspects of the issue, the committee made several recommendations to substantially improve pension benefits of PBORs and commissioned officers, which have been accepted by the government,” the minister added. “The committee has recommended inclusion of classification allowance for PBORs from January 1, 2006 and removal of linkage of full pensions with 33 years from the same date,” Antony pointed out.

On the demand for a separate pay commission for the armed forces, the minister said: “It has been agreed (to), and as and when necessary, it will be set up in the future. The government has also accepted the committee’s recommendations on raising the compensation for those disabled or injured in war, Antony added.
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EX-SERVICEMEN RETURN MEDALS OVER PENSION EQUALITY


October 25th, 2009 - 7:03 pm ICT by ANI -

New Delhi, Oct. 25 (ANI): Protesting against the inequality in new and old pensions, hundreds of ex-servicemen on Sunday returned their medals to the President of India. These retired personnel from the three wings of defence forces - Army, Navy and Air Force, also staged a sit-in protest against the non-implementation of equality in pension, popularly known as ‘One Rank-One Pension’. “We are demanding just equality between the old and the new pension. If two pensioners are put in the same number of years of service, have undergone the same hardships, same risks, dangers, same separation, their services to the country have been same, then their pension also must be same,” said Lieutenant General (retired) Raj Kadyan, Chairman of Indian Ex Servicemen Movement (IESM).

The ‘One Rank-One Pension’ was introduced in 2009-2010. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in his speech at the Independence Day, had also stated that pensions of some ranked officers have been improved. However, according to the ex-servicemen, the government hasn’t issued the orders as yet.

The IESM has been protesting for the last one and half year against the injustice to the pensioners of defence forces. “We tried our best initially to make representation to the Government, to meet the leaders and talk to them but nothing happened. Depositing of medal is the biggest hurt that a soldier can express to the government,” Lt. Gen (retired) Kadyan said.

The ex-servicemen have already deposited 20000 medals with the President. (ANI)
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