A delegation of Indian Ex-Services League led by Brig Kartar Singh,
President Indian Ex-Services League comprising of following (all retd) met Chief of Army Staff and Chairman Chief of Staff Committee
on 25 Oct 2019:-
(a) Brig Kartar Singh – President Indian Ex-Services League.
(b) Brig Inder Mohan – Vice President.
(c) Sub SD Sharma – Vice President.
(d) Vice Admiral Paras Nath, AVSM, VSM,
nominated member, Navy.
(e) AVM RP Mishra, nominated member, AF.
2. The following points were discussed/handed over to the Chief:-
(a) OROP, as due from 01 Jul 2019 should be given with arrears to all ESM as applicable, as per OROP Notification No 12(1)/2014/D (Pen/Pol)-Part-II dated 07 Nov 2015 and implementation instructions issued vide 12(1)/2014/D(Pen/Policy)-Part-
(b) Central Pension Disbursement System (CPDS) should first be run as a pilot project. Pension payment Banks must be established employing CGDA pers and ESM to ensure proper grievance resolution mechanism. A detailed discussion is needed with the Stake holders to finalise this issue on priority.
(c) ECHS is being flogged time and again for shortage of funds, shortage of medicines and lack of empaneled hospitals.
(d) The issue of 1400 CC Car in Rs 5 lakhs is still being highlighted by the environment as amounting to denial of facility indirectly.
No Car of 1400 CC is available in the market for Rs 5 lakh and below.
(e) Denial of Pension of full service to Majors due to defective table of OROP. This is being denied with an excuse that data was not available. The ESM have decided to go to Court if this anomaly is not rectified. It may be known that before 5th CPC 70% of the population of Offrs used to retire as Majors.
3. The Chief of Army Staff and Chairman Chief of Staff Committee gave patient hearing and assured
taking up the case with the Govt.
Col Desh Raj (Retd)
General Secretary
Brig Indermohan Ldh:
I will very briefly give the details of the meeting with the COAS. The agenda points are given above.
1. OROP. It will come. The delay is CGDA trying to reinvent the wheel. Our stand is go by the govt decision. Plus point raised that CGDA should incorporate some experts from the ESM community. We will have to wait. Good to get arrears I feel.
2. CSD. COAS apprised of the car issue. But not very positive. Tried to convince that look at the glass half full. Even at 50 percent GST govt getting revenue and the manufacturing sector gaining.
Constraints of budget is the normal reply. My remedy. Change the system. We need no money from the govt. Car is on demand. Let the manufacturer supply the car. The payment will reach him from CSD depot direct. Govt gets the GST portion. So many economic and financial reforms have taken place since 1991, none in CSD which has a budget of 17000 crore. Even consumer goods supplied through CSD. We need no budgeting from the govt. The FMCG industry gives goods on credit to whole salers/retailers on credit normally upto 30 days. They should follow the same for CSD. So govt money in circulation would stop. Maybe we will have to take it up separately through QMG.
Another point which had positive response was to allow two months liquor quota be restored. It will reduce additional visit of most ESM. Since no one can draw in excess of entitlement this is adding to additional visit. We will progress this with QMG.
3. ECHS. Won’t go into the problems as we are aware of the financial constraints. COAS has assured no shortage of medicines for High BP, Diabetes, Cancer and Arthritis. This is good news for the environment.
We discussed a proposal to reduce load of patents of ESM on ECHS. Will not put it here because it needs acceptance. I can assure that the proposed system will be welcomed by JCOs and NCOs if put appropriately. Can share individually on phone those desirous. Will be meeting MD ECHS early November as discussed in the meeting and data and other technical inputs shared we will open the subject to the environment for feed back. I can assure you it will succeed.
4. Issue of Maj Gen equiv not getting MSP leading to getting less pension than Brigs was also raised by the Air Force rep.
Other issues in agenda also shared.
Must apprise the environment of a very important point raised by the COAS and I fully support his view. Air Force and Navy veterans raise professional issues of importance to the their services and the country when they meet the RM and Army veterans do not go beyond OROP and ECHS. This is true I feel. I conveyed we are concerned but never realised our obligation to this side of our past. I shared how an economist and a journalist of repute, Swaminathan Ankaleshwar Iyer wrote an article in The Economic times of the potential of armed or weaponized UAVs after the attack on Saudi refineries (posting the article separately). So many issues are raised in the media by civilian experts. Why not by us through the organization we have served. I thought CLAWS must be doing the needful as also other defense think tanks. But I feel the mass Army ESM body which doesn’t have a recognized face can also do their bit on national security issues.
That’s it. Let’s not keep blaming the organization. Have faith.
Brig Inder Mohan Singh (Retd)
Vice President IESL.