Says proper mechanism for grievance redress exists in the system

Manohar Parrikar, Defence minister

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 7

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today made it clear that troops of the armed forces using social media platforms to air their grievances were “violating discipline” and asked them to report matters through “proper channel” — euphuism for reporting matter only through their immediate superiors in hierarchy.Replying to questions in the Rajya Sabha on quality of food being served to troops and the use of social media to highlight matters, Parrikar said: “If someone goes to the social media, I think, it is basically a violation of the discipline of the Army”.He cited the Army Act saying it has a provision for a redress mechanism. This could be followed. If still there is a problem, I think, the Chief of Army Staff has already provided a mechanism for redress at his level also. If the issue is still not resolved, there is a provision to even come to me, but raising it on the social media does not resolve the issue. It only highlights the issue, he said.“We insist that they should come through the proper channel. We will address them, and, I don’t think there is much of a big complaint about food”.The matter was raised during the question hour on the issue of a BSF jawan who had complained of diet in a social media post. One of the members asked Parrikar that though BSF fell under the Home Ministry, how he would view if Army jawans, too, aired their problems through the social media.Parrikar said there were dietary provisions for soldiers and there had been increase in the scale of meat, chicken for JCOs and authorisation of chilled, frozen meat as basic ration.He said the extension of special ration available for those posted at Siachen Glacier to troops across the country anywhere above 12,000 feet had also been undertaken.