Minutes of TSEWA Core Committee Meeting held on 10 Aug 2019 at 143, Vayupuri, Secunderabad
The following members of Core Committee attended the weekly 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
- Gp Capt CRR Sastry (Retd) – Joint Secretary
- Hony MN Reddy (Retd) – President, TSEWA, Telangana
- Col MJ Ganapathy (Retd) – Member
- Lt Col Dr K Bhaskar Reddy (Retd) – Member
- Lt Col VS Ramana Reddy (Retd) – Member
- Cdr Chandra Shekhar (Retd) – Member
- Maj B Bhikshapathy (Retd) – Member
- Mrs Rekha Sekhri – Administrator, TSEWA Blog & Member
- Lt Col N Ravi Choudhury (Retd) – Legal Advisor in attendance as special invitee
The President heartily welcome overwhelming presence of members of Core Committee and thanked them for sparing their time to attend the meeting. Their valuable suggestions have enabled TSEWA to progress to the present level. He then requested the General Secretary to give out his points / suggestions / views / opinions.
Points from Col Dr G B Sethi, General Secretary
Item No I : Legal Cases. He informed that of late some petitioners in few legal cases pointed out that they are unable to get progress of legal cases. The matter was discussed at great length.
Smt Rekha Sekhri, Administrator, TSEWA Blog clarified that the status of a case is checked on the website of AFT Delhi immediately after the hearing date. The table of AFT cases on the blog is then updated with its progress. Therefore the information on the blog is up to date.
Lt Col G Parvathesam expressed his view that since President TSEWA has been spoon feeding the members, most of them do not want to make any effort to check the progress themselves.
Gp Capt CRR Sastry explained since most of the AFTs are dysfunctional there is hardly any progress. A decision was taken not to file any new legal case till we see substantial progress in legal cases already filed in various AFTs.
Decision of Core Committee: The President TSEWA would issue a mail to all members explaining the causes for delay in finalization of legal cases, actions taken by office bearers of TSEWA to expedite the legal cases and list out responsibility of petitioners.
Item No II: Article of Gp Capt CRR Sastry (Retd) on Closure of ECHS Polyclinics Co-Located with MH. General Secretary informed that Gp Capt CRR Sastry’s articles are published almost every month in Fauji India magazine. The draft of his latest article on Closure of ECHS Polyclinics Co-Located in MHs has been circulated. Col Dr Sethi was of the opinion that it was better to delay publication of this article as the matter has not reached its finality.
Cmde Sudheer Parakala opined that if ECHS polyclinics are closed, their load cannot be taken on by the existing infrastructure of MHs who are authorized and organized to cater for serving soldiers and their dependents. He suggested that wherever land is available in the premises of MHs, ECHS hospital be constructed to save enormous sums being paid to empaneled hospitals.
Lt Col Dr K Bhaskar Reddy however felt that most of the MHs do not have land nor super specialists in Armed Forces like in empaneled hospitals.
Decision of Core Committee: The Core Committee after hearing arguments and counter arguments directed Gp Capt CRR Sastry to send his article with some amendments for publication in Fauji India magazine without any further delay.
Item No III: Letter to DGEME. The General Secretary informed that a proper request has been sent to DGEME to convene a meeting of Comdt, 1 EME Centre, Col Records, EME Records and PAO (OR) EME to get amount of recovery made by PAO (OR) EME from those JCOs / OR who did not submit the option certificate.
Lt Col N Ravi Choudhury showed the extracts of SAI 2/S/1998 for 5th CPC pay scales and SAI 2/S/2008 for 6th CPC pay scales and informed that action of PAO (OR), EME is totally illegal as the these SAIs clearly mention that submission of option certificate is not mandatory. He added if a JCO / OR is keen to continue to draw existing pay scales and does not want to avail higher pay scale of next CPC, then only he is to give an option certificate. Those who do not give option certificate are deemed to have exercised the option to come under new pay scale of next CPC.
Lt Col VS Ramana Reddy informed that he met PAO (OR),EME and found out that recovery was made as per SAIs and Final Financial statement has been sent to PCDA (Pensions) Allahabad.
The President informed that he has came across some JCOs / NCOs from whom huge sums ranging from Rs 3 to 5 lakhs have been recovered by PCDA (Pensions) Allahabad from their terminal benefits for not giving option certificate. Some JCOs / OR were on ERE (Extra Regimental Employment) duties hence were not aware that they have to submit an option certificate in 5th and 6th CPCs while others forwarded their certificate but it was rejected as it was time barred.
Decision of Core Committee: The matter needs to be pursued as data of amounts of recovery made by PAO (OR) EME has to be given to our advocate in AFT Delhi to pursue the case AFT – 20 in AFT Delhi.
Item No IV: Major MNS Case. The General Secretary informed that there is hardly any progress in Major MNS case who were deprived benefit of OROP – 2013 as none of the Majors of MNS retired in calendar year 2013. Requisite documents from some Majors MNS were not received except from four. He said that Brig SKS Rana, VSM , President, Legal Div, was willing to file their case if any of them have a Delhi address. Since none of the Majors MNS has Delhi address, this cannot be done.
Lt Col Ravi Choudhury offered to file the case in Circuit Bench, Secunderabad if he is given documents.
Decision of the Core Committee: The documents of Maj MNS are to be handed over to Lt Col Ravi Choudhury to file their case in Circuit bench Secunderabad. Majs MNS from who documents are not received may be dropped from the proposed case.
Item No V: BB-2. General Secretary informed that some petitioners of BB – 2 wanted to know whether they are to be paid arrears of broad banding from their date of retirement or only for period of three years from date of filing the case in AFT Delhi.
It was informed that AFT Delhi in their judgment in BB – 2 case directed Union of India to pay arrears for a period of three years from date of filing the case in AFT Delhi.
Item No VI: Assistance to IESM in OROP Case filed in Hon’ble Supreme Court. General Secretary informed that he spoke to Col TN Raman one of the founders of IESM and later with Maj Gen Satbir Singh, SM, Chairman, IESM that if they need services of President, TSEWA to pursue their case of OROP in Hon’ble Supreme Court, same will be provided if such a request is made by Chairman, IESM.
Points from Cmde Sudheer Parakala, Vice President
Item No VII: Sending of Letters to Hon’ble Raksha Mantri. Cmde Sudheer Parakala, Vice President, TSEWA repeated his suggestion made in the last meeting that Gp Capt CRR Sastry be requested to convert his article on various issues affecting veterans and family pensioners into letters that could be sent to Hon’ble Raksha Mantri under TSEWA letter head to be signed by President, TSEWA.
Gp Capt CRR Sastry (Retd) agreed to this suggestion.
Decision of Core Committee: President TSEWA on receipt of draft letter from Gp Capt CRR Sastry will send it under his signature to Hon’ble Raksha Mantri.
Points from Mrs Rekha Sekhri, Administrator, TSEWA Blog
Item No VIII: Mrs Rekha Sekhri suggested that the report of Minutes of Meeting (MoM) need to be briefer so that veterans would read them in entirety. She also suggested that there should be more posts highlighting the various activities of TSEWA. She requested that she should be given such inputs as soon as possible so that they may be disseminated on the blog immediately.
Decision of Core Committee: Core Committee accepted her suggestions for immediate implementation. Further, all Presidents of TSEWA at various levels from Zone to Metros, members of National Executive Committee should send their activities / achievements etc directly to Smt Rekha Sekhri along with photos as e-mail (not in WhatsApp) for publication in the TSEWA blog.
There being no other points, the President declared meeting as closed.
Brig CS Vidyasagar (Retd)
President, TSEWA