War Widow gets correct pension after about four decades :Veteran prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Dear veterans,
A war widow of Patiala, Smt. Rajinder Kaur Ahuja, had to wait for four decades to get the correct family pension.
Her husband, Flt. Lt. Gurbax Singh Ahuja (born on 6th April,1938) was commissioned in Indian Air force as General duty Pilot on 19 Dec, 1959 and promoted to the rank of Flt. Lt. on 19 Dec,1964. The officer was married to Smt. Rajinder Kaur Ahuja on 27 January, 1963 and a son, Aveninder Singh was born out of their wedlock on 30 Oct, 1963.
The young officer, Ahuja left this world in a combat during Indo-Pak conflict on 9 Sep, 1965 leaving his two year old son in the lap of his wife, who, then, was about 24 year old only.
The widow was granted special allowance (Liberized Pension) of Rs.526/- p.m which was erroneously suspended when the widow remarried with his husband's real brother but was restored on 1 Feb, 1972 when the authorities realized their mistake on being reminded by the widow.
But PCDA (Pension), the Pension Sanctioning Authority, again committed the blunder at the time of restoration of pension and the widow was granted an Ordinary Pension of Rs.96/- p.m. instead of Liberized Pension of Rs. 526/- p.m. which was subsequently revised to Rs.375/- p.m. on 1-1-1986, Rs.1275/- p.m. on 1-1-1996 and Rs. 3500/- p.m. on 1-1-2006.
When this discrepancy in pension came to light during a survey, jointly conducted by Indian Ex-Services League (Punjab & Chandigarh) and Ex-Soldiers, Sailor and Airmen Association (Both headed by Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal), the organization made the concerted efforts to get the widow her correct Basic Pension of Rs.22600/- p.m. with effect from 1-1-2006. and solved the case with in two months. Presently the widow receives a total pension Rs.32770/- p.m. Widow has already received an arrear amounting to Rs 14,50,000/- and about same amount will be released by PCDA ( Pension ) Allahabad after completing certain formalities in due course.

As Such the widow has suffered for about four decades to get the anomaly, in her pension corrected, though through the efforts of Ex-Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Association (Regd), a national level organization of Ex-Servicemen and Widows.

Veteran Bhupinder Singh Sohi.
Vice President.

Happy and a prosperous Diwali to all veterans and their widows: Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS (Retd).

Dear Veterans, Regards.
EX- SOLDIERS, SAILORS & AIRMEN ASSOCIATION (Regd),
a national level organization of veterans, wishes all veterans and the widows a happy and prosperous Diwali and further advises the veterans to get their own pension and the pension of war widows and old veterans above 80 yrs (known to them), checked up from the persons who are aware of the latest orders and notifications regading pension because it has been gathered by this organization that above 40% of veterans/widows are being disbursed wrong amount of pension by Pension Disbursing Authorities.

Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS (Retd).
President.

Recognition of Marriage after retirement for pensionary purposes-Navdeep Blog;Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Recognition of Marriage after retirement for pensionary purposes
Some Record Offices have been refusing to recognise marriages solemnised
after retirement of defence personnel. This refusal is based on an MoD
letter issued on 02-06-1989 in which it had been provided that marriages
after retirement would only be considered for family pension purposes if
in a particular case it is the first marriage and is solemnised within 5 years
from retirement or before attaining the age of 45 years, whichever is earlier.
This position by Records Offices is incorrect and in total contravention
of rulings of the Hon’ble Supreme Court as well as Government policy.
The restrictions mentioned in the ibid MoD letter dated 02-06-1989 were
withdrawn and cancelled vide another letter issued by the MoD on
05-04-1991 which was based on the decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court
in the case Bhagwati Vs UOI.Claimants can claim family pension based on
a certificate issued by the Registrar of Marriages or an affidavit sworn
before a First Class Magistrate.Cases of officers are to be processed through
AG’s Branch while those of JCOs and Other Ranks are to be initiated
through the respective Record Offices.

SC wants separate pay panel for forces: Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Tribune News
SC wants separate pay panel for forces

R SedhuramanLegal Correspondent

New Delhi, September 8
Pointing out that many of the armed forces personnel have returned their medals due to non-redressal of their grievances, the Supreme Court today asked the government to consider setting up a separate Pay Commission for both serving and retired members.
“We feel this is necessary as the Armed Forces personnel have many grievances which they feel are not being properly addressed by the Union Government. Many have even returned their medals,” a Bench comprising Justices Markandey Katju and TS Thakur said in an order.
The Bench asked Attorney General GE Vahanvati and Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium to forward the suggestion to the government and get its response by October 18, the next date of hearing.
The court passed the order while hearing a petition filed by some serving and retired army officers challenging the government’s refusal to accord them enhanced “rank pay” as recommended by the Fifth Pay Commission.
The AG and the SG “were present on behalf of the Central government. We have made certain suggestions to them regarding setting up of an independent commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge for looking into all the grievances of the serving and former members of the Armed Forces,” the Bench noted in the order, marking a copy each to the AG and the SG.
Earlier during the arguments, the Bench slammed the Centre for making army personnel run from pillar to post for getting their salary disputes resolved. “The day the soldiers are forced to fight for their salaries, it would be a sad day for the country,” it remarked.
Noting that the Army people who were a disciplined lot could not go on agitation like others, the Bench said forcing them to fight for their salaries was not good for the country. Citing a senior officer who burnt his artificial limb in frustration, the Bench asked the AG and the SG: “Why do you allow such things?”
The present Pay Commission headed by bureaucrats was perhaps unable to understand the problems of the personnel, the apex court observed and felt that setting up a separate commission would provide a channel for them to vent out their feelings.
The Bench slammed the Centre for making army personnel run from pillar to post for getting their salary disputes resolved.
“The day the soldiers are forced to fight for their salaries, it would be a sad day for the country," the Bench said quoting Chanakya's advise to Emperor Chandragupta Maurya.
The apex court said the sane advise of Chanakya was valid even today and it was unfortunate that army personnel are forced to knock the doors of the court for rectifying their salary anomalies.

All ex-servicemen Directors of PESCO submit resignation to Punjab govt.Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

All ex-servicemen Directors of PESCO submit resignation to Punjab govt
Friday, 20 August 2010
CHANDIGARH: In a major setback to Punjab government, the four nominated Directors, all exservicemen, on the board of Directors of Punjab Ex-servicemen Corporation Friday resigned in protest against Punjab government interference in the working of the corporation.Those submitted resignations included Maj Gen Trilochan Singh, Maj Gen Charanjit Singh Panag, Brig Kuldip Singh Chandpuri and Col Surjit Singh Sandhu.A statement issue under the signatures of Brig Kuldip Singh Chandpuri said PESCO was eastablished vide Punjab Act No.33 of 1978 with the sole aim of providing re-employment and economic upliftment of ex-servicement belonging to state of Punjab.The statement further said that the Corporation was drifting away from its main aim and objectives spelt out in the Act. They didn't want to be privy to its present day functioning.
INDIAN EX-SERVICES LEAGUE (P & C)
#3 Guru Ram Dass Nagar, Tripuri, Patiala.
Press Note
Patiala-21 August. Coordination Committee of Indian Ex-Services League, Punjab & Chandigarh, headed by Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd. and Ex-Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Association (Regd.), a national body of ex-servicemen, fully endorses the stand taken by all the four members of Board of Directors (senior veterans-Major Gen. Tarlochan Singh, Major Gen. C.S. Panag, Brig. K.S. Chandpuri & Col. Surjit Singh Sandhu) of Punjab Ex-Servicemen Corporation who have resigned en-block to register their protest against the intentional move of the PESCO Chairmen by which he wanted to please his political mentor in hope to remain in chair for some more years.League, further, requests the Punjab Govt. to dig the cause of resentment registered by the high ranking veterans and sack the Chairmen and others responsible for this episode.PESCO was initially established to provide the facilities for resettlement to the retired young soldiers who were sent back home, after laying their youth at the alter of nation, to keep the forces young. Veteran Bhupinder Singh SohiVice-PresidentIndian Ex-Services League (P & C)
Posted by Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal at 3:17 PM 0 comments

Press Conference by Ex-Solders, Sailors and Airmen Association at Patiala on 26-06-2010 at 11:45 AM Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Dear Veterans,
Regards.
Ex-Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Association (Regd.), in collaboration with Indian Ex-Services League, Punjab & Chandigarh, will hold a wide ranging Press Conference at Patiala on 26th June, 2010 at 11:45 AM to highlight the anomalies in circular no. 430 dated 10-03-2010 in which certain junior ranks have been authorized more pension than the senior ranks, to seek its implementation w.e.f. 01-01-1996 and its applicability to widow and reservist also. Association will seek a minimum pension of Rs. 4600/- in place of Rs. 3500/-. Association will also demand the removal of condition of ten months pay for fixation of pension and grant of pension to Hony. Naib Sub. equal to a regular Naib Sub. which the govt. has already agreed in principal. A large no. of News Paper correspondents and representative of T.V. channels are likely to attend the press conference.

Veteran Malkiat Singh
Gen. Secretary
Ex-Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Association

Defence pensioners not being paid correct amount of pension- Gagandeep Ahuja Punjab News Online: Vet. Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Defence pensioners not being paid correct amount of pension, alleges association. Gagandeep Ahuja
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
PATIALA: Ex-Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Association has detected during, a survey held in last month, that a number of defence pensioners, particularly family pensioners, were not being paid correct amount of pension and there are glaring discrepancies in some cases.
Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd. President, Ex. Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Association said in a press release that in one such case, Rajinder Kaur, War Widow of Flt. Lt. Gurbax Singh, a General Duty Pilot and War Hero of 1965- War fame, was noticed of being paid a pension of Rs. 3500/- only without element of D.A. i.e. less than an Ordinary Pension of a Sepoy's widow instead of Liberalized Pension of Flt. Lt. (War Causality). Her husband was killed in action on 9th September, 1965 during the war with Pakistan.This case involved the negligencey on the part of Pension Sanctioning Authority i.e. PCDA (Pension, Allahabad) and then Pension Disbursing Authority i.e. State Bank of Patiala, Dharampura Br. Patiala which failed to pay her D.A. on the meager pension, erroneously, granted to her by PCDA (Pension), for the last about four decades.The Association immediately took up the case of payment of D.A. on present pension, with P.D.A. i.e. SBOP, Patiala and got the error rectified, to a great relief resulting in to payment of huge amount of arrear to the widow.
The case of enhanced pension to the war widow, Rajinder Kaur, is being taken up by the Association with PCDA, (Pension) Allahabad, along with another case of Stoppage of Service Pension of to Chief Petty Officer, Jaswant Singh, whose pension was stopped by Treasury Officer, Faridkot, the then Pension Disbursing Authority, in year 1974. The Ex-servicemen, who is above 70 years old now, drew his pension for one year and went abroad and returned after ten years to find his pension stopped. He requested his PDA to get his pension restored as per the law but got no response. He then tried his best for about twenty years by writing to various authorities related with the pension but of no avail. During this period his PDA i.e. Treasury Officer, Faridkot misplaced his pension record and washed his hands by making an entry in the pension register that his pension papers were dispatched to PSB. Since then the ex-serviceman is running from pillar to post and writing every one who could help him.
Now he has approached this Association for help to get his pension restored. The Association is planning to take up both these cases with the Pension Adalat going to be held in the month of July, 2010 at Pathankot and to write to the concerned authorities in due course.Earlier the organization helped Late. Sub.Sher Singh of Patiala and Late. Ranjit Kaur of Amloh to get them the correct amount of pansion. Late. Sub. Sher Singh of State Forces was being paid Sepoy's pension since long. He got relief through the Association, though belated i.e. a month prior to his deathSimilarly Smt. Ranjit Kaur, widow of Sub. Gurdial Singh, was also being paid the pension of Sepoy's widow which was got enhanced by the Association, that too at the fag end of her life, about two months before her deathThe Association is planning to conduct a detailed survey during the next six months in Punjab through its block level functionaries and submit a consolidated report to Director, (Pension), Deptt. of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Govt. of India, New Delhi.

A Must Read for All from Navdeep's Blog :Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Whither landmark ? Victory or Defeat ?
More loyal than the king would be an apt expression to describe some actions of our official establishment. There are instances when instead of expressing sorrow or moving into a mode of introspection, we end up in a manner of jubilation, not realising that we are celebrating the kingdom of the dead, our graves, our loss, our defeat, and something which directly negatively affects us.I am talking of a recent communication from Delhi to all Record and legal offices, which I am told, in a manner of jubilation, celebrates the verdict of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in a case wherein it was held that an old deceased schizophrenic soldier was not entitled to disability pension that had been granted to him by a division bench of the Hon’ble Kerala High Court. Damodaran AV was the name of this solider. The communication from Delhi has termed the judgement which has declined benefits to a deceased veteran as ‘landmark’. Before coming to the judgement, I would like to know if anyone has ever seen any official communication terming a beneficial judgment as ‘landmark’ or educating the environment about any favourable judgement which may affect a large section of the service community positively, chances are close to nil. But negativity is the sign of the times I must say.Now I’ll come to the judgement. The Hon’ble Apex Court, in Union of India Vs Damodaran AV (Dead) has held that the deceased soldier was not entitled to disability pension since the medical board had termed the disability as neither attributable to, nor aggravated by service, and that the deceased had not challenged or assailed the opinion of the medical board per se. Attributability or aggravation of a disability is the primary condition for grant of disability pension. The Apex Court also held that the medical board had provided detailed opinion about the disease and how it was not attributable or aggravated by service. In other words, the Hon’ble Court has held that the deceased had not contested the correctness of the opinion of the board and hence was not entitled to relief against the said findings since those were never challenged. The verdict, though termed landmark by the official establishment, is a mere re-iteration of earlier judgements of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in cases such as Balachandaran Nair, Keshar Singh, Baljit Singh, Chinna etc holding that the opinion of the medical board shall have primacy and cannot be brushed aside lightly. True and totally correct. But what happens when the medical board does not adhere to the applicable rules and the statement of non-attributability is prima-facie perverse or in contravention of provisions of law ? This is where the Hon’ble Courts have to intervene, and they have been doing so in the greater interest of justice. In Damodaran’s case, the Supreme Court has not laid down any new law and has simply opined that since the medical board had provided complete reasons for declaring the disability as ‘neither attributable, nor aggravated’ and that the deceased had not challenged the decision or findings of the medical board, it was not proper to hold the disability attributable or aggravated by military service. Damodaran’s case hence has no application where a person challenges the fact that the medical board had not adhered to the applicable rules. The law discussed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court and the primacy of the medical board has been discussed and distinguished earlier. The following from Naveen Chandra Vs Union of India is pertinent to the cause :-“The primacy of medical opinion expressed by the Medical Board constituted in light of the above principles can hardly be disputed. The respondents have heavily relied upon the judgment of the Supreme Court in the case of Controller of Defence Accounts (Pension) and Ors v. S Balachandaran Nair to contend that the opinion of the Medical Board is final and cannot be questioned before the Court. The principle of law enunciated by the Supreme Court in this case is not a matter of controversy and in any case is binding on the Courts. Their Lordships have clearly indicated that the view expressed by the Medical Board has primacy and would be respected by the Courts. There can be no doubt to the proposition that for the opinion of the Medical Board to attain its primacy as afore-referred, it must be in conformity with the statutory provisions framed by the competent authorities. If a report is ex-facie not in conformity with the various regulations and is not supported by any investigative or diagnostic evidence and is arbitrary or ex-facie perverse then it cannot be permitted to have the same value as indicated in the various judgments of the High Courts as well as the Supreme Court”
Moreover, even in Union of India Vs Neki Ram (AIR 2004 SC 1235), the Hon’ble Supreme Court had agreed with the presumption that a disease had been aggravated by service even when the medical board had replied in the negative, the Court also held that there was no material to rebut the presumption of attributability. In Union of India Vs Ranjit Singh, a Division Bench of the Hon’ble Punjab & Haryana High Court had held that the medical board must be self contained and well reasoned and in that very case, the Hon’ble Court held the petitioner entitled for disability pension for schizophrenia. The said judgement was challenged by the Union of India before the Hon’ble Supreme Court which was pleased to dismiss the said SLP on 11-02-2010, albeit on technical grounds but much after the Damodaran AV case (20-08-2009).It is anyway time for the official establishment to trash this theory that the opinion of the medical board is supreme. It is not the medical board which has to determine attributability or aggravation but the Entitlement Rules. The said rules have been discussed in detail on this blog earlier. If medical boards are to be given a free run then there is no requirement of regulatory clauses in the rule book. We in India still have a long way to go, our system of attributability and aggravation determination is still stuck in the primitive times, or else what else could justify the basis of determining say heart diseases on the basis of a paper called the ‘14 days charter of duties’ ? The attributability / aggravation of complicated heart problems in the Indian military is determined by what activities a person had indulged in the last 14 days prior to the onset / discovery of the disease ? Is this medical science or some tantric mumbo-jumbo ? Does the medical establishment feel that the cause of heart diseases could be made out from two weeks in a person’s life ? It is common knowledge that heart diseases manifest over a long period of time, isn’t it time to shun these outdated practices and deal with such situations with a more scientific and humane approach ? Medical boards have been rejecting attributability and aggravation with words such as ‘constitutional’ or ‘idiopathic’ and this is what the Principal Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal had to say about this practice in a recent case :-“There is mandate to the medical board to provide cogent reason for it and not cryptic, slipshod or vague reasons by a covering expression ‘not applicable’ or ‘constitutional’ ”Then there is the tendency to thrust one’s thought process on others in the system and on to the affected parties without deep analysis of issues. An officer wakes up one day, drafts a letter which he or she thinks is the epitome of intelligence, floats a minute sheet, gets it approved on file and viola we have a ‘policy decision’ which is imposed on others who sadly have no say in the arrangement. Or else what could explain letters from the office of DGAFMS asking medical boards not to grant attributability or aggravation to disabilities such as hypertension if the onset is not in a field / high altitude area, when on the contrary, the rule governing the issue states the below mentioned :-“For the purpose of determining whether the cause of a disability or death is or is not attributable to service, it is immaterial whether the cause giving rise to the disability or death occurred in an area declared to be a field service/active service area or under normal peace conditions”So what should prevail over medical boards, the bright-morning idea of the gentleman who signed the policy letter or the rule extracted above ? It is sad but it is such illegal letters which are prevailing over our system than the actual rules.Which brings me back to the subject on celebrating the judgement in Damodaran’s case. The official communication circulated all over the country calls upon record offices and others to file appeals and reviews in cases where the medical board has held a disability as ‘neither attributable to, nor aggravated by service’ and still Hon’ble Courts have granted disability pension. The approach is wrong, misconceived, misplaced and misdirected. The Apex Court has not given any blanket chit for acceptance of medical boards in the said judgement, it has simply stated that in that particular case, medical opinion had to be accepted since no infirmity or non-adherence to rules was pointed out by the Petitioner. The judgement has no universal application and is not even intended to be ‘landmark’ for it lays down no new law.When there are truly landmark judgements rendered, we see no affirmative action. When in the year 1993, the Hon’ble Supreme Court, in Sapper Mohinder Singh’s case, had held that administrative bodies such as the Medical Advisor(Pensions) or PCDA(Pensions) Allahabad shall have no power to sit over the opinion of a medical board or reverse attributability / aggravation granted by a medical board or to reduce the percentage granted by a medical board, the official establishment took 12 years to change the system and the powers of PCDA(P) were finally abrogated in 2005, it is another matter that the powers were then instead granted to the govt – from Caesar to Caesar’s wife. We never heard the term ‘landmark’ for this progressive judgement then and for 12 years nobody acted on the same when time and again Courts deprecated this practice of govt, and here we are, a judgement is pronounced when benefits granted to a disabled veteran are set aside and our own people jump with joy in their seats and term it ‘landmark’ ? I repeat, more loyal than the king.I for one feel that it is this remark by the Hon’ble Supreme Court rendered on 31-03-2010 in Union of India Vs Capt C S Sidhu, which truly reflects the state of affairs today : “Before parting with this case, we regret to say that the army officers and army men in our country are being treated in a shabby manner by the government. In this case, the respondent, who was posted at a high altitude field area and met with an accident during discharge of his duties, was granted a meagre pension as stated in Annexure-P3 to this appeal. This is a pittance (about Rs. 1000/- per month plus D.A). If this is the manner in which the army personnel are treated, it can only be said that it is extremely unfortunate. The army personnel are bravely defending the country even at the cost of their lives and we feel that they should be treated in a better and more humane manner by the governmental authorities, particularly, in respect of their emoluments, pension and other benefits.”No one from the officialdom circulated the above remarks, even for the sake of introspection. We should all realise that we, particularly the ones serving the govt, uniformed and civilian, shall retire one day and would be a part of these very retirees whose small little defeats we are celebrating. In fact, to put it the other way round, it is not a celebration of victory of the mighty Union over a dead solider of the lowest rate, it is the celebration of our own defeat. The current state of affairs is landmark in that sense for sure.

Pension Enhancement Close to One Rank One Pension Demand, says Govt: Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Pension Enhancement Close to One Rank
One Pension Demand, says Govt:
Pension Enhancement Close to One Rank One Pension
Demand,says Govt:In a move that will bring relief to over
12 lakhex-servicemen, the Defence Ministry has issued
orders to implement pending pensionary benefits to them
involving an annual expenditure of about Rs 2,200 crore.
The decision followed recommendations by a high-level
committee and recent assurance in this regard in the
Lok Sabha by Prim Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh.
With these orders, the ministry has implemented all
the seven recommendationsof the committee headed by
Cabinet Secretary Mr. K M Chandrasekhar on pensions,
which would now be close to the ‘One Rank-One Pension’
demand of ex-servicemen, senior ministry officials said
today.“The Defence Ministry issued the orders on March 8
this year to implement the remaining two of the seven
suggestions of the Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar-
headed committee on‘One Rank-One Pension’ demand,”
they said.The two recommendations for which the orders
were issued werbringing parity between pension of pre- and
post-October 10, 1997, personnel below officer rank, and
further improving their pensions based on award of Group
of Ministers in 2006.To queries on the order, Defence
Ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said implementation
of the orders would not only significantly reduce the gap
between the past and current pensioners, but would also
considerably improve the pension of ex-servicemen including
disabled pensioners.

IESL: Plea to Defence Minister to resolve Pension Disparity :Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

IESL: Plea to Defence Minister to resolve Pension Disparity
Please see the enclosed analysis (Appendix ‘A’) which shows the arbitrary manner in which the pension issue has been dealt with and the wide disparity that has crept in, instead of bridging the gap. The only solution to the emotive issue of parity in pension is to revise the pension as suggested in the analysis mentioned above.Unfortunate it is that, a few of us have chosen to agitate, but it is more with a view to focus your attention than to confront. My personal apprehensions are that the perceived indifference of the Government to the just pension demand of the Armed Forces Veterans should not distort the military ethos of the ESM community. It is but prudence to use this highly disciplined, passionately patriotic, deeply motivated and equally skilled community in the nation building. You have the vision to do just that.I believe that the Government owes parity in pension to us, as we the ESM neither have the platform from which we can project our issues nor do we like to go to the streets, staging all kinds of demonstrations. Please spend some time to understand the adverse impact the disparity in pension has on the livelihood and pride of the ESM, who have sacrificed much of their youthful years for the sake of defending the Nation. Almost 2.4 million of ESM stand to lose or gain by your appreciation of the issue.Wishing you all the best and with regards,Yours sincerely,Sd RN RadhakrishnanAddressed to: Sri AK Antony, The Defence Minister, GOI.Read the full text of Letter and Appendixclick here
Posted by SIGNAL on Sunday, March 28, 2010 Links to this post

An ode to the Indian soldiers of World War I :Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

An ode to the Indian soldiers of World War I
Hasan Suroor Visitors to a new exhibition dedicated to Indian soldiers wounded during the First World War while serving in the British army will be struck by the following caption to a photograph: “Care was taken over religious and cultural differences of troops from British India. Hindus and Muslims had separate water supplies and patients were treated by orderlies from their own caste or faith.”Was it thoughtful regard for Indian cultural sensitivities? Or was there a deeper political move to perpetuate the divisive religious and caste practices among the “natives”?Whatever the motive, soldiers themselves were apparently quite pleased with the arrangement. One wrote to his family: “Don't be anxious about me…we're all very well looked after. Our hospital is the place where the king used to have his throne.”The exhibition is at Brighton's famous Royal Pavilion, once a royal seaside retreat and converted into a military hospital to treat wounded Indian soldiers, is aimed at creating a greater awareness about Indian contribution to the war effort. “We want them [people] to recognise, in the first instance, and be aware of what Indian soldiers did for this country. That's very important because it is a footnote in the First World War and needs to be exposed a little more,” Davinder Dhillon, an official, told the BBC.More than 4,000 Indian soldiers were treated at the Royal Pavilion and other buildings in the Brighton area from December 1914 to February 1916. They were said to have been so impressed with their grand surroundings that some compared them to “paradise”.An ode to the Indian soldiers of World War I. Subedar Manta Singh: 2nd Sikh Royal Infantry: Manta Singh was born in the Punjab, northern India. In 1907, as soon as he left the village school, he joined the 2nd Sikh Royal Infantry. By August 1914, when the German army invaded Belgium and France, Manta held the rank of Subedar, and his regiment was part of the Indian Expeditionary Force sent to France Participants from the Indian subcontinent in the First World War
Posted by SIGNAL on Sunday, March 28, 2010 Links to this post

Unit run CSD Canteen Trichy: Smart Cards out Smarted! :Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Unit run CSD Canteen Trichy: Smart Cards out Smarted!
Unit run Canteen OFT, Trichy Posted: 2010-02-01 by Gopinathan Vijaya Kumar smuggling out of canteen items to outside petty tradersIt is shocking to say that, one of the general trader in and around in the vicinity of CSD canteen run by Ordnance Factory Trichy found selling the CSD items in the MRP. Further on the reliable information, it is ascertained that, the firm is getting all the CSD general items from the above said canteen with the connivance of some staff of the OFT for years past and till continuing.unit run canteen OFT, TrichyUnit run CSK Canteen, TrichyRespected Sir,Kindly read this mail with patience and caution. Now I am going to reveal some secret problems to be dealt with. The problems are related to corruptions done in CSK Canteen, Trichy division.From our canteen many liqour bottles have been corrupted with the influence of the manager. A dealer buys 10 bottles for 400 Rs. Even inside the canteen kitchen they are selling in pegs. They are minting money through this illegal business. All the bottles are going out with the knowledge and prior permission of the manager. The main culprit is A.JOHN LOUIS. He is the security in Tanjore canteen. Now at present he is in Trichy canteen. He is the right and left hand of the manager. The customers who apply for smart card will use paper cards until the smart card is given to them. With help of those numbers from the paper card the customers buy goods.After the purchase is over the paper card will be locked.Per day not even 10 paper cards will be circulated but they prepare 20 to 30 paper cards and buy lots of liquors and sell it outside illegaly. This is done with the help of the manager. The person who possess a little computer knowledge can find all these corruptions easily.For Eg.On 11/03/2010 only three paper cards have been entered.PAPER CARD NO. ARMY NO. NAMEGRO2426 10163329 Late.Mariyappan (P.C no.02426)GRO1658 60838 Late.Jaganathan 7142 148258862 Chauhan AjmalBut there are more number of cards been entered, they arePAPER CARD NO. ARMY NO. NAME14264168 6875 Sivakumar14264168A 06875 Sivakumar1706141 2285 Shanmuga vadivu0007 JC196014 A.Sundaram2187 13937312 A.Louis21940 7031774A Nithyanandham219400 219400 Nithyanandham4774 2199651 R.Krishnasamy4774A 219965A R.K.SamyThis smart card maintanence is done by Mr.Kaalamegam. A 67 age old man who is working since 2003 but the shocking news is that he is not a canteen staff. He is the binami of manager Mr.Balraj.Manager G.Balraj and Kaalamegam will not give smart card to the customers at once. They will use the customer's smart card for 2 to 3 months and buy the goods and sell them outside. There are some brokers who get commission of about Rs.100 per Rs.1000. Per day they sell goods worth Rs.50,000 and gain a commission of Rs.5,000. Their average commission per month will exceed more than Rs.1,00,000. They have 2 to 3 contractors for moving the goods. Everything is done with the knowledge of watchman LOUIS. He collects Rs.500 per negotiation. From the year 2004-2005 each customer was given separate card for liquor and goods.But the watchman will only give goods card and keep the liquor card with himself.When the customer claims for the liquor card they give a new one. If you raid the manager's house you can get 100's of liquor cards. They have minted more amount of money with the help of these liqour cards.The culprits are Radhakrishnan Asst Salesmen in Tanjore, Rajendran from Vasantha Bhavan Hotel and Kamal. They are all the Binami's of the manager Balraj.At the same time the smart cards of the expired persons is used by them for 2 to 3 months and then only they hole the cards. Through a single dealer the manager gets more than Rs.1,00,000 money. Under his undertaking there are 5 canteens. So he gains more money which he buries in the underground of his house.He has spies in every departments.Nobody can complaint against him. If done he will easily find it out.For each postman he would give 2 liquor bottles per week. This is because nobody should write to the higher authorities against him and if it is done they will give all the letters to the manager Balraj himself. He will give 4 bottles for the dispatch clerks in the station headquarters and ask them to neglect all the complaints before rooted to higher officials. He is acting like a good person after committing so many crimes. Click here to read the full scam: Published by 8AK India Defence NewsArmy CSD Canteen MathuraPosted: 2009-12-09 by CAPT BRIJ LAL (Retd) I had purchased 15 liter Saffola Gold from Mathura Cantt Army Canteen @ Rs 1766/- whereas same item is available in open market for Rs 1710/-. It is shocking that "How can a item could be more cheaper in market than CSD Canteen?"MRP difference: Item cheaper in open market
Unit run Canteen OFT, Trichy Posted: 2010-02-01 by Gopinathan Vijaya Kumar smuggling out of canteen items to outside petty tradersIt is shocking to say that, one of the general trader in and around in the vicinity of CSD canteen run by Ordnance Factory Trichy found selling the CSD items in the MRP. Further on the reliable information, it is ascertained that, the firm is getting all the CSD general items from the above said canteen with the connivance of some staff of the OFT for years past and till continuing.unit run canteen OFT, TrichyUnit run CSK Canteen, TrichyRespected Sir,Kindly read this mail with patience and caution. Now I am going to reveal some secret problems to be dealt with. The problems are related to corruptions done in CSK Canteen, Trichy division.From our canteen many liqour bottles have been corrupted with the influence of the manager. A dealer buys 10 bottles for 400 Rs. Even inside the canteen kitchen they are selling in pegs. They are minting money through this illegal business. All the bottles are going out with the knowledge and prior permission of the manager. The main culprit is A.JOHN LOUIS. He is the security in Tanjore canteen. Now at present he is in Trichy canteen. He is the right and left hand of the manager. The customers who apply for smart card will use paper cards until the smart card is given to them. With help of those numbers from the paper card the customers buy goods.After the purchase is over the paper card will be locked.Per day not even 10 paper cards will be circulated but they prepare 20 to 30 paper cards and buy lots of liquors and sell it outside illegaly. This is done with the help of the manager. The person who possess a little computer knowledge can find all these corruptions easily.For Eg.On 11/03/2010 only three paper cards have been entered.PAPER CARD NO. ARMY NO. NAMEGRO2426 10163329 Late.Mariyappan (P.C no.02426)GRO1658 60838 Late.Jaganathan 7142 148258862 Chauhan AjmalBut there are more number of cards been entered, they arePAPER CARD NO. ARMY NO. NAME14264168 6875 Sivakumar14264168A 06875 Sivakumar1706141 2285 Shanmuga vadivu0007 JC196014 A.Sundaram2187 13937312 A.Louis21940 7031774A Nithyanandham219400 219400 Nithyanandham4774 2199651 R.Krishnasamy4774A 219965A R.K.SamyThis smart card maintanence is done by Mr.Kaalamegam. A 67 age old man who is working since 2003 but the shocking news is that he is not a canteen staff. He is the binami of manager Mr.Balraj.Manager G.Balraj and Kaalamegam will not give smart card to the customers at once. They will use the customer's smart card for 2 to 3 months and buy the goods and sell them outside. There are some brokers who get commission of about Rs.100 per Rs.1000. Per day they sell goods worth Rs.50,000 and gain a commission of Rs.5,000. Their average commission per month will exceed more than Rs.1,00,000. They have 2 to 3 contractors for moving the goods. Everything is done with the knowledge of watchman LOUIS. He collects Rs.500 per negotiation. From the year 2004-2005 each customer was given separate card for liquor and goods.But the watchman will only give goods card and keep the liquor card with himself.When the customer claims for the liquor card they give a new one. If you raid the manager's house you can get 100's of liquor cards. They have minted more amount of money with the help of these liqour cards.The culprits are Radhakrishnan Asst Salesmen in Tanjore, Rajendran from Vasantha Bhavan Hotel and Kamal. They are all the Binami's of the manager Balraj.At the same time the smart cards of the expired persons is used by them for 2 to 3 months and then only they hole the cards. Through a single dealer the manager gets more than Rs.1,00,000 money. Under his undertaking there are 5 canteens. So he gains more money which he buries in the underground of his house.He has spies in every departments.Nobody can complaint against him. If done he will easily find it out.For each postman he would give 2 liquor bottles per week. This is because nobody should write to the higher authorities against him and if it is done they will give all the letters to the manager Balraj himself. He will give 4 bottles for the dispatch clerks in the station headquarters and ask them to neglect all the complaints before rooted to higher officials. He is acting like a good person after committing so many crimes. Click here to read the full scam: Published by 8AK India Defence NewsArmy CSD Canteen MathuraPosted: 2009-12-09 by CAPT BRIJ LAL (Retd) I had purchased 15 liter Saffola Gold from Mathura Cantt Army Canteen @ Rs 1766/- whereas same item is available in open market for Rs 1710/-. It is shocking that "How can a item could be more cheaper in market than CSD Canteen?"MRP difference: Item cheaper in open market
Unit run Canteen OFT, Trichy Posted: 2010-02-01 by Gopinathan Vijaya Kumar smuggling out of canteen items to outside petty tradersIt is shocking to say that, one of the general trader in and around in the vicinity of CSD canteen run by Ordnance Factory Trichy found selling the CSD items in the MRP. Further on the reliable information, it is ascertained that, the firm is getting all the CSD general items from the above said canteen with the connivance of some staff of the OFT for years past and till continuing.unit run canteen OFT, TrichyUnit run CSK Canteen, TrichyRespected Sir,Kindly read this mail with patience and caution. Now I am going to reveal some secret problems to be dealt with. The problems are related to corruptions done in CSK Canteen, Trichy division.From our canteen many liqour bottles have been corrupted with the influence of the manager. A dealer buys 10 bottles for 400 Rs. Even inside the canteen kitchen they are selling in pegs. They are minting money through this illegal business. All the bottles are going out with the knowledge and prior permission of the manager. The main culprit is A.JOHN LOUIS. He is the security in Tanjore canteen. Now at present he is in Trichy canteen. He is the right and left hand of the manager. The customers who apply for smart card will use paper cards until the smart card is given to them. With help of those numbers from the paper card the customers buy goods.After the purchase is over the paper card will be locked.Per day not even 10 paper cards will be circulated but they prepare 20 to 30 paper cards and buy lots of liquors and sell it outside illegaly. This is done with the help of the manager. The person who possess a little computer knowledge can find all these corruptions easily.For Eg.On 11/03/2010 only three paper cards have been entered.PAPER CARD NO. ARMY NO. NAMEGRO2426 10163329 Late.Mariyappan (P.C no.02426)GRO1658 60838 Late.Jaganathan 7142 148258862 Chauhan AjmalBut there are more number of cards been entered, they arePAPER CARD NO. ARMY NO. NAME14264168 6875 Sivakumar14264168A 06875 Sivakumar1706141 2285 Shanmuga vadivu0007 JC196014 A.Sundaram2187 13937312 A.Louis21940 7031774A Nithyanandham219400 219400 Nithyanandham4774 2199651 R.Krishnasamy4774A 219965A R.K.SamyThis smart card maintanence is done by Mr.Kaalamegam. A 67 age old man who is working since 2003 but the shocking news is that he is not a canteen staff. He is the binami of manager Mr.Balraj.Manager G.Balraj and Kaalamegam will not give smart card to the customers at once. They will use the customer's smart card for 2 to 3 months and buy the goods and sell them outside. There are some brokers who get commission of about Rs.100 per Rs.1000. Per day they sell goods worth Rs.50,000 and gain a commission of Rs.5,000. Their average commission per month will exceed more than Rs.1,00,000. They have 2 to 3 contractors for moving the goods. Everything is done with the knowledge of watchman LOUIS. He collects Rs.500 per negotiation. From the year 2004-2005 each customer was given separate card for liquor and goods.But the watchman will only give goods card and keep the liquor card with himself.When the customer claims for the liquor card they give a new one. If you raid the manager's house you can get 100's of liquor cards. They have minted more amount of money with the help of these liqour cards.The culprits are Radhakrishnan Asst Salesmen in Tanjore, Rajendran from Vasantha Bhavan Hotel and Kamal. They are all the Binami's of the manager Balraj.At the same time the smart cards of the expired persons is used by them for 2 to 3 months and then only they hole the cards. Through a single dealer the manager gets more than Rs.1,00,000 money. Under his undertaking there are 5 canteens. So he gains more money which he buries in the underground of his house.He has spies in every departments.Nobody can complaint against him. If done he will easily find it out.For each postman he would give 2 liquor bottles per week. This is because nobody should write to the higher authorities against him and if it is done they will give all the letters to the manager Balraj himself. He will give 4 bottles for the dispatch clerks in the station headquarters and ask them to neglect all the complaints before rooted to higher officials. He is acting like a good person after committing so many crimes. Click here to read the full scam: Published by 8AK India Defence NewsArmy CSD Canteen MathuraPosted: 2009-12-09 by CAPT BRIJ LAL (Retd) I had purchased 15 liter Saffola Gold from Mathura Cantt Army Canteen @ Rs 1766/- whereas same item is available in open market for Rs 1710/-. It is shocking that "How can a item could be more cheaper in market than CSD Canteen?"MRP difference: Item cheaper in open market

Allowance for all Army officers in high altitude areas -Tribune News: Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Red.

Now, allowance for all Army

officers in high altitude areas:

Vijay Mohan/Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 17.The Armed Forces Tribunal

has ruled that mere attachment with static or

non-static unit should have no bearing on sanction

of compensatory allowance for high altitude postings.

It has directed that Compensatory Field Area Allowance

(CFAA) be paid to all officers posted in high altitude

areas.

The order would benefit a large number of army

officers posted in “static” or non-combatant

establishments as well as auxiliary services like

the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

The Compensatory Field Area Allowance was

introduced by the Fourth Pay Commission as

compensation for harsh climate and uncongenial

conditions in remote high altitude areas. Officers

posted to areas designated as field areas are

entitled to CFAA, but the Controller General Defence

Accounts (CGDA) denied it to officers posted to certain

establishments regardless of geographical location.

Allowing a petition filed by Col G Keshav seeking CFAA

sanction, the Tribunal termed the CGDA’s order as

discriminatory and imposed a special cost of Rs 25,000

on the respondents. The Tribunal also ruled that its

order shall also be made applicable to officers posted in

identical situations.

“These was no justifiable reason for not granting CFAA

to some when it has been given to others in the identical

situation. Persons posted in static units are also

the same adverse climatic conditions and isolation,

” the petitioner’s counsel, Maj K Ramesh (retd) told

The Tribune.

Observing that the pay commission did not differentiate

between static and non-static units, the Tribunal ruled

that the Centre had issued an executive instruction

under provisions of the Constitution and thus, being

statutory in nature, the executive order does not permit

administrative departments to redefine field area or

make further classification such as static or non-static.

Punjab offers gallantry benefits to all : Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Dear veterans,
Punjab Govt has offered to give gallantary benefits to all
awardees from any state provided the concerned state is
not able to bear the same.
Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Punjab offers gallantry benefits to all
Vijay Mohan, Tribune News Service,
Chandigarh, March 6, 2010 Punjab, described as the sword
arm of the nation, has offered to extend certain benefits to
gallantry award winners across the nation regardless of
their domicile. Announcing this here today, Finance Minister
Manpreet Singh Badal said Punjab would be willing to pay
the same allowance being given to gallantry awardees
belonging to Punjab to those from any other state where
the local authorities are unable to do so.Addressing
members of the War Decorated India (WDI) at their
triennial convention here today, Badal also announced a
40 per cent increase in the allowances being paid by the
state government to gallantry awardees in Punjab.The
WDI is an association of recipients of the Param Vir Chakra
(PVC), Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), Vir Chakra (VrC) and awards
given for gallantry in war or in the face of the enemy. It
does not include recipients of other awards for bravery.
About 200 gallantry award winners, their family members
or widows from al across the country attended the two-day
event here.Stating that his move does not have any political
connotations, Badal said that Punjab has been in the centre
of all wars and the state identifies itself very closely with the
armed forces. “It is not the question of money, but that of
the izzat of the soldiers. It is the least that we can do,” he
said. While some states like Punjab and Haryana have
extended considerable benefits to gallantry award winners
in the respective states, many other sates have neglected
them or are doling out a pittance. In some states allowances
have not been revised for decades and the allowance per
month even for the highest award is still in two digit figures.
Punjab pays a monthly allowance of Rs 10,000 to PVC
recipients and Rs 8,500 and Rs 5,500 to MVC and VrC
recipients respectively. Punjab has a tally of four PVCs,
52 MVC and 250 VrCs, out of which only 17 MVC winners
and 110 VrC winners are surviving.At present, there are
about 1,550 surviving soldiers who were decorated for
gallantry in various wars fought since independence. The
numbers are steadily decreasing. So far only 21 officers and
men have been decorated with the PVC, the highest award for
bravery in the face of the enemy. Out of these 14 were
conferred posthumously. Only three recipients of the PVC -
one pertaining to Siachen operations and the other two to
the 1999 Kargil conflict, are surviving. A major issue with
decorated soldiers is that when it comes to recognition to
grant of benefits, they get a raw deal vis-à-vis freedom fighters
or eminent sports persons. The ministries of home affairs or
sports are able to have their way when it comes to the welfare
of its beneficiaries, but the defence ministry on the contrary,
is unable to effectively pursue the interests of the veterans.
Also, a large number of cases where land was promised to
gallantry award winners or their widows are pending with
various state governments even decades after the awards were
announced. Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal had
ordered a review of all pending land grant cases a few months
ago after some gallantry awardees had apprised him of the
situation.Punjab offers gallantry benefits to all- Also
announces 40 pc allowance hike for awardees from state.

India Aviation 2010 takes off on a tragic note crash:Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

India Aviation 2010 takes off on a tragic note crash
Two pilots charred to death as one of the four naval planes
belonging to the Sagar Pavan Aerobatic Team of INS Hansa
crashes into a residential building near Begumpet airport
in Hyderabad
The international aviation show, 2010, began on a tragic
note at Hyderabad’s Begumpet airport on Wednesday as a
naval plane taking part in the air show freefell in seconds,
nose-diving from the sky.The plane crashed into a cell tower
on a three-storey residential building near Begumpet airport
in Bowenpally.Kiran HJT-16, the naval plane belonging to
the Sagar Pavan Aerobatic Team of the INS Hansa (Goa Naval
Base) was part of the four planes participating in the flying
display.Its two pilots, Commander S K Maurya and Lieutenant
Commander Rahul Nair, both from Goa, were charred to death
while two civilians were seriously injured. The accident
occurred between 11.40 and 11.45 am, when the copters were
performing their last maneuvering act.Four naval aircraft
from Goa were taking part in the flying display which involved
loop and bomb burst formations (spraying colours in the sky).
Maurya lost control over the plane while descending and
started swirling in the air. It went off on a tangent for about
1.2 km. It crossed the boundary wall of the airport and hit a
cell tower on a building in the thickly populated narrow
Pochamma Temple lane at Arya Samaj in New Bowenpalli.
“The penthouse is badly damaged. Perhaps the damage is
less because the two overhead tankers on the building got
punctured during the accident. So, water gushed onto the
wreckage. This helped in bringing the fire under control
even before the fire brigade arrived,” building owner
N Ramesh Kumar told Mirror.The body of Commander
S K Maurya was brought down from the terrace and shifted
to the Defence Hospital. The body of Rahul Nair however
disintegrated beyond identification, according to Hyderabad
district collector Navin Mittal.According to eyewitness,
Rahul tried to escape with the help of a parachute but failed.
The damaged portion of the building came crashing down
onto an Indica car parked behind the building. There were
nine flats in the building and most of the people were out at
work when the accident took place.N Ashok and his wife
Ramanamma, a tenant couple staying on the second floor,
told Mirror that they sensed the crash when they heard a loud
sound. “We were preparing to switch on the washing machine.
When we heard the sound, we ran upstairs only to see the debris
of the plane and the two mobile towers pulled down.Probe
orderedNavy spokesperson from Goa MC Joshi told Mirror that
a probe had been ordered into the crash. “It is not even possible
to imagine what factors could have contri-buted to the accident
as the probe is yet to begin. The team will reach Hyderabad late
in the evening,” he said over phone.VIPs witness tragedy Civil
Aviation Minister Praful Patel, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister
K Rosaiah, the top brass of companies from different parts of the
world witnessed the crash. They were all watching the air show.
Seconds after the plane went crashing down, a loud explosion
was heard and a cloud of smoke surrounded the area. However,
Praful Patel refused to comment on the crash saying the Defence
Ministry should react.Are aero shows safe? The question assumes
significance not only in the light of Wednesday’s air disaster, but
also because another pilot was killed during a training session in
Bangalore a few years ago. A Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) Dhruv
Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) crashed into the Yelahanka
airbase killing the co-pilot and injuring the captain. The aircraft
was practicing for the Feb Aero India 2007 air show. Co-pilot
Sqn Ldr Priye Sharma from the Indian Air Force died when the
Dhruv crashed near a runway at the airbase outside Bangalore.
Another pilot sustained injuries. Pilots part of Sagar Pawan
aerobatic teamThe pilot and the co-pilot who died in a crash
during an air show at Begumpet airport on Wednesday were
part of the Indian Naval formation aerobatic team Sagar Pawan
that was set up in 2003. Commander S K Maurya and
Lt Commander Rahul Nair were part of the 16-member team
that had last flown during the MiG 29 induction ceremony in
Goa last month. The team gave its maiden performance on
May 11, 2003, on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Naval
Aviation at Kochi.

Reply to E mail sent by Gen. Satbir Singh to me along with others and media.:Veteran Prabhjot Singh.Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Dear Veterans,
Regards. Find below my reply to Email sent to me by Maj.
Gen. Satbir Singh, Vice Chairman of IESM along with others
and Media.
Dear Veteran (Gen.),Thanks for the mail addressed to me
among others.
Dear Sir, Neither Hon,ble Prime Minister, S. Manmohan
Singh is misleading Parliament nor you have, ever,
supported JCOs and below on this issue of Modified
Parity of Pension.
Your contention has been from the very beginning on, ONE
RANK ONE PENSION, which has been hanging fire since
1982 for which Indian Ex-Services League,New Delhi,presently
headed by Brig.Gulia knocked ther door of Supreme Court
and got no suitable relief.But the Hon,ble Prime Minister, has
referred to OROP as proposed in CoS report which implies
Modified Parity in Pension for JCOs and below along with other
five poinits which have, already, been duly notified by Ministry
of Defence. Two points, which primarily relate to Modified Parity
in Pension for JCOs and below are being processed for
notification. You are hundred and one percent correct when you
say that some bureaucrats have goofed it but, I say,at the behest
of some vested interests.It is being delayed only to bring a bad
name to the Govt. headed by Hon,ble Prime Minister, S.
Manmohan Singh, an un-matchable Prime Minister,My Country
has ever had during this long span of Independence. And the
reasons for this, I have narrated a number of times on the net..
Some persons are asking some thing not feasible only to
mislead under-priviledged lot to maintain their leadership
which is, shortly, going to be a thing of past. I challenge,if the,
privileged lot, I mean,Commissionded officers,specially the
Generals, who have virtually got OROP, once support this
step of govt.whole heartedly, it will be a matter of a few days,
that the CoS report is implemented in toto.Even other wise ,
I am sure, bureaucrats will not dare to delay it further. These
details are, most probably, not in the knowledge of our worthy
Prime Minister, S Manmohan Singh. I hope, your good self,will
not place any thing close to your heart what i said.. About my
identity,if you like to know, Sir;you can ,please, enquire from
your nephew, Sqn Ldr. Madan Singh Retd.
Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.
From: satbir singh To: aircmde_psingh@hotmail.com; angadsingh.rs@hotmail.com; brig_surinder@yahoo.com; Brigadier@ninaplastics.com; captvjsingh11878@yahoo.co.in; colgrewal@gmail.com; colharjitsingh@auceaninternational.com; colharsharan@yahoo.com; coljpbangia@yahoo.co.in; colkahlon@yahoo.com; colkhanna@gmail.com; colkulbir@yahoo.com; colnair@yahoo.com; coloneldpsingh@yahoo.com; colram40@gmail.com; coltej@rediffmail.com; dharamsingh1507@gmail.com; elarish@gmail.com; iaf_jagdip@yahoo.co.in; iesm2008@gmail.com; injogakhal@yahoo.co.in; isgill@rediffmail.com; jasbir.ahluwalia@gmail.com; jatindermehta74@gmail.com; jogi_chanchal@hotmail.com; kkrishan123@sify.com; konaseemaexservicemen@gmail.com; ltcdrml@rediffmail.com; ltcolrsmann@gmail.com; madangopal.kapoor@gmail.com; mahavirjakhar@yahoo.co.in; mittaldelhi@hotmail.com; mkcgrd@gmail.com; navani54@yahoo.com; navdeepsingh.india@gmail.com; neilsandhu.91@gmail.com; opnaresh2007@hotmail.com; pandeykameshwar@gmail.com; pathaniars@yahoo.com; prabhjot_singh0@yahoo.com; ramjiimishra@yahoo.co.in; reet@kamlafauji.in; reetanjan@yahoo.co.in; sadhusohi@gmail.com; sharansahuja@gmail.com; tejinder.anand@yahoo.com; tsbakshi756@yahoo.com; vasu022@gmail.com; vpsachar@vsnl.net; windrider.p@gmail.com; zorawar874@yahoo.com; aapnapunjab ; Adm Harinder Singh ; Air Cmde Pannu ; Air Force Assn ; amanchhina ; Amarjit Singh ; AVM-HPSingh ; Brig BS Mehta ; Brig CM Harnal ; Brig Lakshman singh ; Brig Nawab Heer ; Brig Opinder Singh ; Brig Opinder Singh ; Brig panwar ; Brig Sant Singh War decorated Indai ; Brig Saranjit Sahney Sent:

Wed, March 3, 2010 Subject: MOST URGENT PRESS NOTE
PRIME MINISTER MISLEADS PARLIAMENT :

Dear Friends,

Press Note Titled “PRIME MINISTER MISLEADS PRLIAMENT:”
dated 03 Mar 2010 is attached.



With Kind Regards,
Jai Hind
Yours Sincerely,

Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM
Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement
Mobile : 9312404269, 0124-4110570
Email : satbirsm@yahoo.com
MOST URGENT PRESS NOTE
PRIME MINISTER MISLEADS PARLIAMENT :
JCO;S AND JAWANS NOT YET GRANTED
ENHANCEMENT OF PENSIONS.

Dear Members of the Media, Dated : 03 March 2010


1. Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) an organization
spear heading the protest Movement since 27 Apr 2008 to get
Justice to the Defence Personnel, whishes to inform the
people of India that the Govt continues to do Injustice to the
Armed Forces specially the Ex-Servicemen. We watched with
dismay on Lok Sabha TV Channel, the Hon’ble Prime Minister
Dr. Manmohan Singh making a Statement on the floor of the
house that the enhancement of pensions to JCO’S and Jawans
announced by the Govt on 06 July 09 has been implemented.
This was in response to the statement by Hon’ble Shiri LK
Adwani that OROP for which the Govt had earmarked over
Rs 2100 Crores per year to benefit 12 Lacs JCO’S and Jawans
has not been implemented.

2. The fact is, till today no Jawan or JCO has received any
orders for the enhancement of pensions. Even the Service
HQs where an inquiry was made has confirmed that orders
for enhancement of pensions of JCO’S and Jawans as
announced by the Govt on 06 July 2009 have not been
received.

3. It is a very serious matter of impropriety by the person no
less than the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on the floor
of the house. Is it that some Bureaucrat has goofed it ?.
Like the 1962 war and Bombay Terror Attack, the concerned
Bureaucrat will again get away unscathed.


With Kind Regards,
Jai Hind
Yours Sincerely,

Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM
Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement
Mobile : 9312404269, 0124-4110570
Email : satbirsm@yahoo.com

Now Gen Malik in thick soup as India’s AFT takes up Kargil war issues:Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal

Gen Malik in thick soup as India’s AFT takes up
Kargil war issues
—Former Indian Army Chief General VP Malik to get tough time
as his actions set to come under fire —Brigadier Devinder Singh
moves AFT against General Malik’s action during and after
Kargil conflict —A Major of Indian army also amongst the
challengers in the case—A financial scam case also awaits General
Malik at Delhi High Court.
From Pramjeet Kaur
Chandigarh (India)—While it has been more than ten years after
the war between India and Pakistan was fought in Kargil and the
ensuing controversies, the issues that had then embroiled the
Indian government and the Indian Army top brass, have
re-emerged into the public domain and are set to create new
revelations and controversies for the Indian political and military
leaderships with special focus on the wrongdoings of the then
Indian Army Chief, General VP Malik, reveal the investigations of
The Daily Mail The Daily Mail’s findings indicate that after being in
the Delhi High Court for years, the legal cases filed by some officers
of the Indian Army, who felt aggrieved by the wrongful actions of
the then Indian Army Chief general VP Malik and the military
establishment vis-à-vis their role in the conflict, are now, finally
before the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) for public hearing.The
Daily Mail’s investigations reveal that these would be the first cases
associated with a cross-border conflict and those dealing with the
conduct of military operations and the role of commanders in a war
situation, to come up before the AFT. This could raise some
jurisdictional, administrative and legal issues. Three of the officers
whose cases are listed to come up for hearing before the AFT’s
Principal Bench, comprising Justice AK Mathur and Lt Gen ML
Naidu (retd), are from Chandigarh.The Daily Mail’s findings further
indicate that Brig Devinder Singh, the then commander of the 70
Infantry Brigade of the Indian army at Batalik which had played a
key role in the conflict, had alleged fabrication of the After Action
Reports by the senior commanders. He has contended that four of
his most successful battalions were falsely shown under the command
of the then Deputy General Officer of the 3 Infantry Division, which
reflected a lop-sided picture of his command.He claimed that senior
commanders attempted to involve him in a blame game over the Kargil
intrusions by fudging records and forwarding incorrect inputs to the
Kargil Review Committee.The then commander of the 121 (I) Brigade
in Kargil, who was removed from service, is contending that he had
apprised higher authorities of the intrusions, but instead of taking
him seriously, he was made a scapegoat.The matter had come up
before the AFT and is now fixed for hearing during this month.
Contending his removal and related actions against him by the Army
as illegal, arbitrary and without jurisdiction, he has demanded
reinstatement, consequential benefits and damages, besides calling
for an independent investigation into the circumstances that led to
the conflict. The Daily Mail’s findings reveal that a Major of the
Indian Army, who was tried and convicted by a general court martial
at Chandigarh for disobedience of lawful command during the conflict,
has also challenged his trial and the case is also before the AFT. He
has filed an additional suit demanding independent investigations
into the Kargil episode.The Daily Mail’s findings indicate that after
the Kargil conflict was over, the Army Headquarters at New Delhi,
that were stormed by controversies and massive criticism, not only for
the debacle at the war front but also for the massive financial wrong
doings in the direction of procurements by army, directed all the
commanders of the Kargil front to immediately submit citations for
the bravery of the soldiers so that the pressure from the political
circles could be minimized nonetheless to boost up the morale of the
demoralized troops. These findings indicate that in the hasty
compliance of strong orders from the headquarters, the commanders
at Kargil made a variety of blunders and submitted many fake
citations with the recommendations of top military awards including
the highest and the most prestigious PVC award. The Daily Mail’s
findings reveal that the wrong citations started surfacing soon and
the biggest blunder in this regard emerged when the farcical episode
of PVC recipient Grenadier Yoginder Singh Yadave began to unveiled
as Yoginder was found hiding at a military hospital in New Delhi while,
following the fake citations of his commanders, the government of
Indian awarded him with the posthumous (after death) PVC award.
The Daily Mail’s investigations indicate that Indian army leadership
was put on a flashing burner by the opposition parties in the
parliament not only for outrageous display of combat at Kargil but
also for huge financial wrongdoings in procurements, during the
conflict. These findings indicate that after pointing out glaring lapses
and improprieties in purchase of specialised mountain warfare
equipment for the Kargil war, the Comptroller and Auditor General
(CAG) of India had said that even non high-altitude weaponry deals
were pushed through by the Defence Ministry in the name of
Operation Vijay. “Though deployment of T-72 tanks was not possible
at high altitude,” the defence ministry had used the pretext of
Operation Vijay and the relaxation of procedures to push through a
deal worth $27.17 million in July, 1999 for delivery of 2800 rounds of
T-72 ammunition from Israel and another 7000 rounds within six
months, the CAG said in its report tabled in the Indian Parliament .
The Daily Mail’s investigations reveal that T-72 ammunition was not
the sole case of ‘non-emergent requirement’ pushed through as another
glaring example was the import of 644 items of spares for combat
engineers tractors from the Royal Ordinance, United Kingdom in
January, 2000 at an estimated cost of 439,810.33 pounds sterling.
Saying that out of 644 items, 475 spares were only bin items, the CAG
had stated that the deal was gone through without reviewing the j
ustification for bin samples for spares included in the contract, even
though these combat tractors were due to be phased out by 2003.
“Thus even unnecessary and non-emergent requirements were pushed
through Operation Vijay procurement,” the CAG said in its report.
The Daily Mail’s findings indicate the CAG had pointed out that the
deal went through even though sufficient funds were not available
under the relevant head for purchase of ammunition adding that
relaxed procedure for Kargil operations were used to push through
the deal. The Daily Mail’s findings further indicate that the CAG also
referred to another case of projected requirement of 20 short-range
additional radars, citing urgent needs for Operation Vijay, which
‘appeared imprudent’. It said the army, citing urgent requirements
for Kargil operations, projected an immediate induction of 20 radars
in July, 1999 and the ministry called for quotations in September
20, 1999 with a delivery schedule of six to eight weeks. “A higher unit
price of $112,500 dollars was quoted by the same company for a
shorter delivery period. The offer was accepted and the contract
worth $2.3 million concluded,” the report said.The Daily Mail’s
findings indicate that such allegations of financial embezzlements
under the grab of combating a war with Pakistan and the accusations
of below average performance by the troops rang alarm bells at the
Military Headquarters in New Delhi and the top brass started taking
all the measures for face saving and the hurriedly invited citations
from the field commanders was the top step, taken under extreme
pressure. These findings indicate that the first major baseless citation
in this direction that hit the headlines of the media across the world
was that of Grenadier Yoginder Singh Yadave of the Gathak platoon
of the Indian army. Yadave was awarded with Posthumous Param Vir
Chakra in the light of the citations of his commanders for fighting
with extraordinary bravery at Kargil front. However the international
media, soon after the announcement of the award, discovered that the
“brave martyred”, recipient of posthumous PVC award was not only
alive, but was hiding, was actually an absconder who ran away from
the war front by hiding himself under the bodies of some dead and
critically injured fellow soldiers and managed to make it to a local
field military hospital and from there, he managed to make it further
to the main military medical facility at New Delhi with fake
identification. His actual whereabouts surfaced when local and
international media spotted him to be present, and present very
much alive after the Indian government awarded him with the
posthumous PVC award, causing great humiliation and immense
embarrassment to both the Indian government and Indian Army.
The Daily Mail’s findings indicate that in a bid to overcome this
outrageous blunder, the Indian Army begun a high-level inquiry into
the “unpardonable mistake” of declaring one of the Param Vir
Chakra winners, Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav, dead, though he
was actually an absconder and hiding in an army hospital in New
Delhi. Senior army officers said it was at the Srinagar headquarters
of the 15 Corps or Northern Command headquarters in Udhampur
that the goof up happened. These findings further indicate that the
then Indian Army Chief General V.P Malik tendered an apology,
while the Defence Ministry accepted the mistake. Chief of Army Staff
General VP Malik ordered an inquiry and warned of severe
punishment for those responsible for the outrageous mistake but
nothing has happened till today but on the other side, Yoginder was
not deprived of the award until the outcomes of the inquiry
committee, which never came up with any conclusion, enabling an
absconder to enjoy the honour of being PVC recipient, though he has
never been any out of the turn promotion etc, to recognize his
“bravery” while such promotions and benefits otherwise come as a
package for a PVC recipient in India. The Daily Mail’s investigations
indicate that recommendation for any gallantry award for a soldier
is initiated by the commanding officer of a battalion to the brigade
headquarters. From the brigade headquarters it is passed on after
scrutiny to the divisional headquarters and from there to the corps
headquarters. From the corps, after detailed discussion and
correlation of the claims, it is the send to the command headquarters,
where from it is forwarded to the army headquarters in New Delhi but
it appears that in the Kargil case, every body did everything on
emergency basis, without following the set procedures and thus
committed serious blunders. “The Param Vir Chakra is awarded for
rarest of the rare gallantry which is beyond the call of duty and which
in normal life is considered impossible to do, but it seems that these
pre-requisites never came under consideration in the process of
awarding awards to Kargil fighters of Indian army, “ said Brig Singh,
a former officer of the Indian army and now attached with a defence
related think tank at New Delhi. He said a gallantry award is given
for a particular act, and a soldier could win more than one gallantry
award in a war for his different actions. The Daily Mail’s findings
indicate that while the Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra,
Vir Chakra, Sena Medal and Mention in Despatches are awarded to
soldiers who go out to the field and fight the battle, for leadership
qualities senior officers are selected for Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal,
Uttam Yudh Seva Medal and Yudh Seva Medal. After the Kargil
conflict, Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal was awarded to the chief of
Western Command of the Indian Air Force, Air Marshal Vinod
Patney, who is so far the second officer in Independent India’s
history to be awarded this honour. The Daily Mail’s findings disclose
that just like Grenadier Yadav’s case, Rifleman Sanjay Kumar was
also falsely citied for bravery by his field commanders as he was
seriously wounded after receiving bullets on chest as well as at the
arms and was retrieved by the medical units in unconsciousness
from the foot of a hill during the ceasefire hours. The Daily Mail’s
findings indicate that a committee whichwas formed to review the
Kargil citations after the Yadav episode, disclosed that Rifleman
Sanjay Kumar was also a fake hero., Kumar, in the meantime, was
elevated to the rank of lance Naik and then to the rank of Havildar.
In the light of the recommendations of the review committee, the
Indian army decided not to make the new PVC blunder public and
decided to hush-up the matter. However, later Kumar was not only
demoted to the rank of Lance Naik but was also subjected to grave
snubbing and humiliation by his seniors, making life miserable for
the otherwise PVC recipient, in the army.Major Gen (retd) Sheru
Thapliyal, who was military advisor during the Kargil operation
refused to comment over the issue when contacted by The Daily Mail.
Maj Gen Thapliyal had recommended promotion for the gallantry
award winners. However repeated attempts to elicit a response from
the Ministry of Defence over phone, e-mail by The Daily Mail proved
futile while the Army also refused to comment over the issue.The
Daily Mail’s findings indicate that Indian Military Intelligence and
Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) have been making numerous
efforts to defend the image of the fake heroes of Kargil. These findings
indicate that as a top effort, RAW drafted the script of a Bollywood
movie titled, LoC Kargil and completely financed the same with
theme to project both Yadav and Kumar as war heroes of Kargil
conflict, though the movie came as a supper dupper flop on the box
office despite a galaxy of Indian showbiz stars featuring in it.The
Daily Mail’s findings indicate that General VP Malik is also set to
face the charges for financial wrong doings during the Kargil
conflict, once the AFT finishes the hearing on current petitions. The
Daily Mail’s findings further reveal that India’s Comptroller and
Auditor General’s (CAG) report on the procurement of supplies
during the Kargil conflict had revealed the sordid state of affairs in
the Indian Ministry of Defence. The stink arising out of senior
military officers brazenly discussing the system of bribery on tape
had hardly subsided, when the CAG report came out with a scathing
indictment of the systematic corruption and irregularities in the
emergency procurement during “Operation Vijay” in May-June,
1999.The Daily Mail’s findings reveal that the CAG report audited
123 contracts involving Rs. 2,163.09 crore. It found that supplies
worth Rs. 1,762.21 crore, which constituted 81 per cent of the total
expenditure, materialised six months after the operations in 2000.
The report concluded: “Thus, while critical supplies of clothing,
ammunition and arms could not reach the troops during the
operation, an amount of Rs.1,046 crore, almost half of the total,
entirely in foreign exchange, was spent fruitlessly, breaching
established principles of propriety.”The CAG report listed how
purchases of a whole host of equipment were fiddled. They range
from small arms, artillery ammunition, special clothing and other
military equipment. Among the deals found violating procedures are
the buying of handheld thermal imagers (Rs. 41.95 crore), terminally
guided munitions (Rs. 151 crore), bullet proof jackets (Rs. 51.65
crore), anti-material rifles (Rs. 23.22 crore), flame throwers
(Rs. 18.22 crore) and ammunition (Rs. 402.76 crore). Nothing was
sacrosanct for making money out of the jawans fighting in the Kargil
war. The report found that 3,438 pairs of boots ordered for the
soldiers, were of two smaller sizes, 5 and 6, not fit for adults; thus
Rs. 1.85 crore was frittered away.The Daily Mail’s investigations
reveal that the most shocking case was of the coffins ordered for
transporting the dead bodies of soldiers who were killed in battle.
The BJP-led government obviously believed swadeshi coffins were
no good. The Ministry ordered coffins from an American company
at the rate of US $ 2,500, i.e., Rs. 1.09 lakh per casket. The bid was
obtained only from one firm and the price for this casket in 1994
was $ 172 per piece. Rs. 1.47 crore was paid for 150 caskets supplied,
which is 90 per cent of the total amount to be paid. The entire lot of
coffins was rejected during inspection as being overweight and not
up to the specifications. No amount of explanation by the Indian
military establishment led by General VP Malik or the BJP-led
government could convince anyone that coffins had to be imported
from the United States. There were hundreds of industrial units in
India which could have supplied suitable coffins at a hundredth of
the price paid. to discuss the issue on December 18.The Kargil
equipment scam is not only a shameful blot on the Indian Army
and the Defense Ministry of India but it was also an insult to the
armed forces and the country. The pseudo-nationalists; the
Generals of the Indian army were exposed as the worst profiteers.
This shameful episode made all Indian citizens hang their heads
in shame and once again, a former Brigadier of the Indian Army,
Brigadier PM Singh has planned to file a case in the Delhi High
Court to charge general VP Malik and his associates as well as the
then Defence Minister George Fernandez for the financial corruption
under the grab of conflict with Pakistan at Kargil.
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