Minutes of TSEWA Core Committee Meeting held on 27 Jul 2019 at 143, Vayupuri, Secunderabad
The Core Committee of TSEWA met at 143, Vayupuri, Secunderabad on 20 Jul 2019. The following attended the meeting: –
- Brig CS Vidyasagar (Retd) – President, in chair
- Cmde Sudheer Parakala (Retd) – Vice President
- Col Dr GB Sethi (Retd) – General Secretary
- Lt Col G Parvathesam (Retd) – Treasurer
- Lt Col Bhaskar Reddy – Member
- Lt Col Vijai Salins – Member
- Col TVS Murthy (retd) – Member
- Lt Col VS Ramana Reddy (Retd) – Member
- HFO AV Reddy (Retd) – Member
- Hony Capt M N Reddy – Member
- Lt Col R R Sekhri – in attendance
- Smt Rekha Sekhri – Administrator, TSEWA Blog
The President welcomed the members and thanked them for their presence. He exhorted other members to make it convenient to attend the weekly meeting as their contribution makes TSEWA to grow. Thereafter, he requested the General Secretary to commence the proceedings.
Points from Col Dr GB Sethi, General Secretary
Item I: Blood Donation Camp at Pataudi, Haryana. The General Secretary informed that Col Ajit Singh Rana, President, TSEWA, North Zone sent a mail informing that he in collaboration with blood transfusion unit, Delhi will hold a blood donation camp at Pataudi on 30 Jul 2019. The blood donors are mostly Ex-Servicemen and family pensioners. The likely expenditure has gone up to Rs 12,000 and some of it will be reimbursed by the Blood Transfusion Unit located in Base Hospital, Delhi. As the same was approved by the Core Committee in its meeting of 13 Jul 2019, the money was transferred into account of Col Ajit Singh Rana.
Item No II: Donation by Col Amar Nihalani. Col Amar Nihalani (Retd) came to the office and donated a sum of Rs 20,000 to TSEWA. The Core Committee appreciated the large heartedness of Col Amar Nihalani. He was informed he will get 50% of his contribution as IT relief when he files income tax return for the fin yr 2019 – 20 by 31 Jul 2020.
Item No III: Expenditure of 4th AGM at Dehradun. General Secretary showed the expenditure statement received from Brig Rajinder Singh Rawat (Retd), President, TSEWA, Uttarakhand. It is Rs 56,727 much less than the expenditure incurred in the first three AGMs at Secunderabad. The Core Committee thanked Brig RS Rawat and his team for the excellent arrangements made for the National Executive Committee meeting and also the 4th AGM. This expenditure was low as outstation members paid for their travel and messing at Dehradun.
Item No IV: Articles written by Gp Capt CRR Sastry. The General Secretary informed that magazine Fauji India published one more article written by Gp Capt CRR Sastry. At this, Cmde Sudheer Parakala suggested that the article duly modified be sent to three service HQs and Hon’ble Raksha Mantri.
Core Committee suggested that Gp Capt CRR Sastry (Retd) modify his article suitably and send it to three service HQs and to Hon’ble Raksha Mantri.
Points from Lt Col G Parvathesam, Treasurer
Item No V: Treasurer informed that he has budgeted Rs 70,000 for charity for the Quarter ending Sep 2019.
Points from Cmde Sudheeer Parakala, Vice President.
Item No VI: He informed that any application, duly supported with documents for financial assistance, is scrutinized by the Charity Committee headed by him. If the beneficiary is found to be eligible and if the financial assistance recommended by the State or Zonal Presidents is within Rs 25,000, the same is remitted within no time. But the Presidents of State and Zonal often do not send the documents to support the claim of the beneficiary. The donations sent to the beneficiaries are checked by Income tax department as TSEWA has got IT exemption under Sec 12 (A) of Income Tax Act 1961.
The Core committee suggested that the priority be given to ESM prominent states like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi NCR, UP, Maharashtra, Tamilnadu and Kerala.
Points from Lt Col Vijai Salins, Member
Item No: VII: Lt Col Vijai Salins explained that he took up a case for financial assistance with his course-mate who is now one of the advisors of Hon’ble Chief Minister of Punjab. The Course-mate assured him if a proposal comes from TSEWA, he will recommend such cases to the Hon’ble Chief Minister for financial assistance.
The Core Committee discussed this issue at length. The assurance from the advisor to the Hon’ble Chief Minister to help the ESMs and family pensioners in penury is heartening. The Core Committee felt that a proposal should immediately be sent from TSEWA to the advisor of Hon’ble Chief Minister of Punjab to direct Director Sainik Welfare, Punjab to hold Awareness programmes by TSEWA in every district of Punjab in a phased manner. In every district of Punjab there is a District Sainik Welfare Officer who has the wherewithal to organize such Awareness programmes. TSEWA will explain to all participants, all legitimate dues like Pension, OROPs, 7th CPC, problems with Banks, Record Offices and PCDAs, CSD, ECHS etc. The District Sainik Welfare Officer and TSEWA will jointly organize such Awareness programmes and identify eligible beneficiaries who can be given financial assistance by Govt of Punjab.
The Core Committee requested such a proposal be sent to the advisor to Hon’ble Chief Minister of Punjab. Lt Col Vijai Salins volunteered to draft such a letter to be signed by President, TSEWA.
Points from President
Item No VIII: The President informed that he read a letter of CGDA addressed to Min of Def (ESW) obtained by Air Mshl SY Savur (Retd) on OROP through RTI route. The CGDA sent statistics of those pensioners retiring in the period Jul 2014 to Jun 2019 getting less pension than those retired in OROP – 2013 as shown in the table below :-
|
Rank |
Jul 2014 to Dec 2015 | Jan 2016 to Jun 2019 |
|
Lt Col |
94.30% |
78.02% |
|
Brigadier |
8.25% |
0.42% |
The President informed that with data available with him he found only 2 out of 10 Lt Cols retired in the period Jul 2014 to Dec 2015 got less pension than those retired in OROP–2013. There is not even one Brig retired in the same period got less pension.
He further explained that pension is paid to all officers retired based on their commissioned service. Lt Cols who had pre-commission service granted permanent commission as SL Officers, SCOs and RCOs are fixed pension at the time of retirement in the above period based on their commissioned service only. Such officers have less commissioned service of 15 to 20 years where as regular commissioned officers have service upto 25.50 years. Whereas, those Officers with pre- commissioned service are fixed pension for their total qualifying service i.e. Pre – Commissioned service plus Commissioned service in OROP– 2013 which comes to Rs 89,347 for 33 or more years of total qualifying service. It could be CGDA compared the pension of such officers retired in the period Jul 2019 and Jun 2019 with only commissioned service of 15 to 20 years which is much lesser than Rs 89,347 with similar officer retired in OROP–2013 with commissioned service plus Pre– Commission Service whose pension is Rs 89,347. There are few Lt Cols of this category. CGDA appears to have blown up this figure of those who get less pension after OROP– 013 just to deny OROP–2018. Such officers who got less pension for their commissioned service of 15 to 20 years, will get higher pension in OROP-2018 for their Pre– Commissioned Service and Commissioned Service. The statement that such less pension is an anomaly and is widespread is not correct. He asked more officers of rank of Lt Col and Brigadier retired in the period Jul 2014 and Jun 2019 to send him their pension details or PPOs or E-PPOs. He has sent his analysis to Brig Kartar Singh, President, NCESMO with a request to send the same to the three Service HQ representatives who are members of Committee constituted on 14 Jun 2019 by Min of Def (ESW) to work out modality of OROP and inform the Committee that this anomaly is not widespread. This alone should not be reason for scrapping of OROP altogether. If an anomaly is present then such pensioners should also be fixed pension same as OROP pension.
Item No 9: Deduction of Income Tax from Disabled Super – Annuated Soldiers.
The President informed that he has seen a letter addressed by CPPC, Gandhinagar presumably of SBI that based on the circular issued by Min of Fin, Dept of Revenue, henceforth the income tax will be imposed on the disability pension of superannuated soldiers. In the near future, CPPCs of all other banks will follow suit. Banks are required to effect TDS (tax deducted at source as they are the Pension Disbursing Agencies). The President said since the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri has assured that this issue will be examined, he hoped the disabled soldiers will be exempted from payment of income tax on their disability pension.
President explained that even in Def Pension Regs 2008 it is clearly shown that any disabled soldier granted disability pension is assumed to be invalided out of service, hence he is entitled for exemption of income tax on his disability element.
The President lamented that it is rather unfortunate Army HQ apparently without consulting other two services unilaterally taken up a case recommending withdrawal of exemption of Income Tax given to disabled and super – annuated soldiers on the grounds that some of the senior officers exploited the provision to get exemption from IT just before their retirement.
The President informed that it is also surprising hundreds of proposals are sent by Joint Chiefs of Staff to Min of Def but such proposals or recommendations are put in cold storage. But when Army HQ has recommended abolition of exemption of Income tax on disability pension of super-annuated disabled soldiers, Min of Def took no time to recommend to the Min of Fin to impose income tax on disabled but super-annuated soldiers quoting a letter issued by British Indian Govt of 1922 vintage.
TSEWA wished that Min of Def take all proposals sent by Joint Chiefs of Staff with same alacrity in nation’s best interest to strengthen Armed Forces to meet future challenges to national security.
There being no other points the President declared the meeting as closed.
Brig CS Vidyasagar (Retd)
President, TSEWA