Minutes of TSEWA Core Committee Meeting held on 13 Jul 2019 at 143, Vayupuri, Secunderabad
The Core Committee met at 143, Vayupuri, Secunderabad on 13 Jul 2019 and the following attended the meeting: –
(a) Brig CS Vidyasagar (Retd) – President, in chair
(b) Cmde Sudheer Parakala (Retd) – Vice President
(c) Col Dr GB Sethi (Retd) – General Secretary
(d) Lt Col G Parvathesam (Retd) – Treasurer
(e) Gp Capt CRR Sastry (Retd) – Joint Secretary
(f) Col TVS Murthy (Retd) – Member
(g) Lt Col VS Ramana Reddy (Retd) – Member
(h) Lt Col Vijai C Salins (Retd) – Member
(i) Lt Col N Ravi Choudhury (Retd) – Member
(j) Hony Capt M Narasimha Reddy (Retd) – Member
(k) Lt Col Bhaskar Reddy – Member
The President welcomed all members and thanked them for sparing their valuable time to project their suggestions / views / opinions / recommendations for growth of TSEWA. He then requested General Secretary to commence the proceedings.
Points from General Secretary
Item I: Conduct of 4th AGM at Dehradun. The General Secretary informed all that the AGM held in Gorkhali Sudhar Sabha, near SBI Garhi cant, Dehradun on 07 Jul 2019 went beyond his expectations. Due to inclement weather, only 105 members could attend the AGM. The National Executive Committee meeting was held in the same venue one day before i.e. 06 Jul 2019.
The National Executive Committee passed all mandatory resolutions on 06 Jul 2019.
He thanked Brig Rajinder Singh Rawat, President, TSEWA, Uttarakhand and his dedicated team of volunteers made herculean efforts to get accommodation for 19 outstation members, transport to all of them and all arrangements at the venue for NEC meeting and AGM.
He particularly mentioned the stellar role played by Brig Vijay Gusain and Capt Neel Kumar Thapa who assisted us in organizing both the meetings.
Lt Gen GS Negi, PVSM, AVSM, VSM chief guest released the quarterly newsletter and complimented TSEWA for the good work being done for the welfare of ESMs and family pensioners. He thanked TSEWA for holding their 4th AGM at Dehradun.
Minutes of National Executive Committee meeting and 4th AGM will be issued separately covering all details at great length.
Item II : Blood Donation Camp at Pataudi, Haryana. The General Secretary told the meeting that he received a request from Col Ajit Singh Rana (Retd) President North Zone, TSEWA that he intends to hold a blood donation camp at Pataudi in Haryana on 30 Jul 2019. He requested to sanction Rs 5,000 for the same. He further stated that this blood donation camp will boost the image of TSEWA. Lt Gen KJ Singh (Retd) former Army Cdr Western Command, now Information Commissioner of Haryana accepted to be the Chief guest for the blood donation camp. The Blood Transfusion Unit of Base Hospital, Delhi will also reimburse part of expenditure.
The Core Committee complimented Col Ajit Ran (Retd) for his initiative and immediately recommended sanction of Rs 5,000 to be sent to Col Ajit Singh Rana (Retd) to cover the expenditure for holding the blood donation camp.
200 units of blood is likely to be collected in the camp.
Item III: Advertisement of TSEWA in Fauji India magazine. General Secretary informed that one more article on Reservists written by Gp Capt CRR Sastry was published in Fauji India magazine.
The Core committee complimented Gp Capt CRR Sastry (Retd) on his writing skills and exhorted him to keep writing articles relevant to fauji community.
The Core Committee suggested that in every issue of Fauji India magazine an article written by Gp Capt CRR Sastry (Retd) is published. Therefore, TSEWA should approach Fauji India magazine to publish an advertisement of TSEWA so that many readers of this magazine will become members of TSEWA.
Points from Gp Capt CRR Sastry (Retd), Joint Secretary
Item IV: Gp Capt CRR Sastry briefed the Core Committee on the meeting held with two advocates of AFT Delhi in Gurgaon on 09 Jul 2019. TSEWA was represented by President and Gp Capt CRR Sastry, Joint Secretary. Brig SKS Rana, VSM (Retd), President, Legal Div was also present in the meeting with the advocates.
The two advocates of AFT Delhi explained delay in legal cases as most of the AFTs have become dysfunctional due to non-availability of judicial and administrative members. All other tribunals under administrative control of Ministry of Law & Justice are functioning without any problem. It is hoped that the judicial members and administrative members for AFTs whose names are lying before the Cabinet Committee on Appointments will be be cleared soon and AFTS are likely to function to full capacity.
The two advocates explained that some details required to come from HQ TSEWA are not forthcoming and mails are sent to Secunderabad regularly. They requested unless we fulfil the requirements of AFTs, our cases are not likely to proceed further.
Sometimes petitioners are not giving all details like Delhi address for those who wanted Special Family pension when their husbands died in harness. This is the requirement of AFT Delhi and we cannot object to it. All those ladies who submitted Delhi address have been given OA numbers individually.
The advocates stated that henceforth AFT Delhi will accept maximum 25 petitioners in one case. Also it should be ensured that petitioners should belong to one Service only i.e. Army or Navy or IAF. In case of Army petitioners, they should belong to one Record office preferably as it becomes difficult to get response from other Record offices if all petitioners belonging to different Corps /Corps are put in one OA.
Those petitioners of BB – 3 who submitted their request to ADG PS have got Government sanction for broad banding and were paid arrears. All those petitioners of BB – 3 be advised to approach ADG PS for grant of relief.
Overall the meeting with the two advocates have been useful.
The President explained that Brig Kartar Singh, President, NCESMO was kind enough to provide accommodation to Gp Capt CRR Sastry and him from 08 to 10 Jul 2019. We had very useful discussion on OROP – 2018. The President informed that NCESMO as and when they meet the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri will bring the wrong facts of CGDA sent to Min of Def (ESW) to abolish OROP.
President also requested Brig Kartar Singh to send the tables of pension made by him countering the arguments of CGDA to three service HQ representatives who are members of the committee constituted on 14 Jun 2019 under chairmanship of CGDA to work out modality of OROP.
Points from President
Item V: Parawise Reply to 14 page Noting sheet of CGDA to Min of Def (ESW) to scrap OROP
The President informed that some Ex-Serviceman obtained a 14 page document of CGDA sent to Min of Def (ESW) through RTI Act. The letter clearly explains the stand of CGDA to scarp OROP citing two distorted facts: –
(a) Equivalization of Pension by 7th CPC. The CGDA informed Min of Def (ESW) that 7th CPC has equalized pension of those retired prior to Jan 2016 with those retired post Jan 2016. This is absolutely an incorrect statement. The President obtained details of pension from those retired in calendar years from 2014 to 2019. The pension of those retired from 2016 to 2019 is higher than pension of those retired in OROP – 2013. Even the pension of those retired in calendar year 2016 is much higher than those retired in OROP – 2013. This is because the pay scale of the 7th CPC gives higher pay to serving soldiers and pension to those retired in calendar year 2016.
(b) Pension of Those Retired in the Period Jul 2014 to Dec 2015 is Lesser than in OROP – 2013. The CGDA made an alarming statement that pension of those retired in the period Jul 2014 and Dec 2015 is lesser than those who got benefit of OROP – 2013. This is an anomaly and if it is wide spread then OROP – 2018 need to be scrapped altogether.
The President informed that his analysis did show very few pensioners retired in the period Jul 2014 and Dec 2015 got lesser pension than in OROP – 2013. This is due to a simple fact that in OROP – 2013 the pension of those whose pay is lesser than Average pay of those retired in calendar year 2013 was brought upto the Average. Such pensioners whose pension is lesser than Average are those who got their promotions very late due to less number of vacancies in their promoted rank. They benefited by this method of pension fixation in OROP – 2013 by which their lesser pension was equated to Average pension by which they got benefit of Rs 1000 to Rs 4000 dependiong upon rank and qualifying service.
But this benefit of enhancement of pension from actual to Average was not carried out for those whose basic pay in Jul 2014 to Dec 2015 was less than Average basic pay of those retired in calendar year 2013.
It is due to the fact all trades in Army or Navy or IAF do not have same number of vacancies. Some get promoted as Naik / LSM / Corporal with just 5 years’ service but in some trades promotion comes only after 10 or 12 years’ service. When such NCOs retired with same total qualifying service of say 20 years, Naik / LSM / Corporal who got promoted with just 5 years’ service would have drawn 14 increments and his last pay drawn is much higher and his pension in say Jul 2014 is much higher. But the Naik who got promoted when he put in 12 years’ service would have earned only 7 increments hence his pension would be lesser though he also put in 20 years’ service. This Naik / LSM / Cpl would get only increment in 2015 and his pension in 2015 will be much lesser than in OROP-2013.
Realizing this anomaly, the PCDA (Pensions) Allahabad and other two PCDAs of Navy and IAF should have brought this injustice to the notice of CGDA and recommended to the Min of Def (ESW) to provide the same benefit of equalizing pension of those retired in the period Jul 2014 and Dec 2015 with that of OROP – 2013.
CGDA did not take up any such proposal to remove such an anomaly but now say that this anomaly is widespread and his suggestion to abolish OROP altogether is illogical. This also reflects the attitude of the DAD personnel to give less pension and save money to the exchequer. Had this been the case with defence civilians CGDA is the first one to take up such a case and enhance their pensions.
Unless the DAD is manned 50% by serving soldiers / ESMs, such injustice will continue to occur to the faujis.
Item VI: Meetings with Brig Kartar Singh (Retd), President, NCESMO. The two days (09 and 10 Jul 2019) spent in New Delhi enabled us to develop better understanding and camaraderie with Brig Kartar Singh, President, NCESMO. Discussion on latest developments caused by CGDA writing to Min of Def (ESW) on proposals amounting to abolition of OROP was discussed at length. The committee constituted by Min of Def (ESW) did not have stake holders as members as per the statement of Hon’ble Raksha Mantri but only representatives of three Service HQs. Brig Kartar Singh was requested to send our counters to the CGDA recommendation to the representatives of three service HQ who are members of the Committee chaired by CGDA to work out modality of OROP.
There being no other points from any of the members, the President declared the meeting as closed.
Brig CS Vidyasagar (Retd)
President, TSEWA