Disabily benefits for pre-2006 pensioners-Tribune News Service:Veteran Prabhjot Sinngh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Disability benefits for pre-1996 pensioners
Vijay Mohan:Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 31.Following recommendations of the
Committeeof Secretaries, the government has partially modified
regulations fordisability pension and extended benefit of broad-
banding of disability percentage to those invalided out of service
prior to January 1996.
The cap on war injury pension, restricting the same to the
maximum of last drawn emoluments for personnel invalided
out in Category ‘E’, alsostands removed. The orders to this
effect were issued by the Ministry of Defence on January 19 after
financial sanction for the same was accorded earlier this month.
The benefits of broad-banding of disability percentage and
removing the cap on war injury pension were recommended by
the Sixth Pay Commission.
These were, however, extended only to those invalided out of
service in1996 or after, thereby putting similarly placed persons
left service earlierat a disadvantage.
While the partial modification has been welcomed by veterans
as a positive development, some officers and legal experts point
out that the benefits have been extended only to those
individuals, who were invalided out of service and not to those
who retired on completion of their terms of engagement.
In the case, Paramjit Singh Vs Union of India, the Punjab and
Haryana High Court, has already held this disparity to be
arbitrary.
Regulations now themselves provide that for the purposes of
disability pension, persons placed in low medical category at
the time of retirement are deemed to be invalided out of service.
The different treatment between invalided and
superannuating personnel, according to lawyers dealing in the
pensionary matters, seems strange in view of the fact that
broad-banding or rounding-off disability percentage was
introduced to curb medical subjectivity because it was felt that
different medical boards were providing different percentages
of disability for similar ailments.

The govt.sleeps while the sadists take the system for a ride -Navdeep :Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Dear Veterans,
Regards.Maj.Navdeep has posted the following on his blog. Our
organisation fully endosres his views and I request all other
welfare organisations of veterans to take same stand. The legal
pundits are bent upon crushing the pensioners, particulary,
the veterans and their dependents. We will have to take a bold
stand against this injustice being done to us all. We should stand
united and pay heed to the clarion call given by Maj. Navdeep.

Sunday, January 31, 2010
The gameplan of legal pundits : The govt sleeps while
sadists take the system for a ride
You may have read this on the blog before.
All is fair in love and war they say, and the same seems to be
the battle-cry of the Central Government against its retired
employees.So what is it that the people in officialdom have
against disabled veterans and pensioners ?The last months
have seen the Union of India filing appeals and SLPs in almost
every decision of the Hon’ble Courts allowing disability
pension to disabled veterans. The same is the story with other
pensionary matters. I feel ashamed in saying this but while the
lawyers make hay, former soldiers and their families suffer in
silence.It is turning out to be sickening now. And this is to say
the least.Law has now been well settled by the Courts including
the Hon’ble Supreme Court on certain issues, but the legal
advisors of the government are in no mood to relent. Even when
High Courts (and now benches of the AFT) are deciding matters
with well-rounded decisions based on settled law and principles
of equity, the central govt continues to mindlessly file appeals
before the Supreme Court. The govt also continues to refuse
benefits to veterans in settled issues till the time individual cases
are filed separately by pensioners. One such glaring example
discussed before is disability pension to voluntary retirees.
Despite the fact that the Supreme Court has upheld the right of
voluntary retirees to receive disability pension, the Union of
India continues to file appeals against decisions of High Courts
granting such benefits to affected disabled personnel. Another
very recent and shocking example is SLP No 688 of 2010 filed by
the Central Govt before the Supreme Court which was listed for
hearing on 25th of January, 2010. The case involved the improved
pensionary benefits granted to PBOR wef 10-10-1997 after
removing the anomalies of the 5th CPC. The Hon’ble Punjab &
Haryana High Court had earlier in the year 2008 held that such
benefits had to be granted to affected personnel with effect from
01-01-1996 (and not 10-10-1997) since the anomaly had to be
rectified from the date of its inception and not from some other
prospective artificial date. The High Court had hence held
personnel who retired between 01-01-1996 to 10-10-1997 also
entitled to the enhanced benefits. The Union of India, as expected,
challenged the verdict before the Hon’ble Supreme Court through
an SLP but the same was dismissed on merits on 21-11-2008. So
far, so good, but what is shameful is that fully knowing that the
law was now settled by the Apex Court and that the Central Govt.
had itself rectified this anomaly through the anomalies committee,
another SLP (the above mentioned 688 of 2010) was filed by them
this new year against another such decision by the same High
Court and the same has again been dismissed by the Apex Court
on 25-01-2010. I bet the Hon’ble Supreme Court would not have
been informed in the fresh SLP of the earlier dismissal of an
exactly similar case in the year 2008.It is high time that the
Defence Minister, the military top brass and the Defence
Secretary take a call on this mindless one sided ego based
litigation which, besides leading to burdening judicial fora,
is also leading to burden on the State and demoralisation of
rank and file. Nobody stands to gain except probably the
battery of lawyers appearing for the Union of India. It also
seems that power has been concentrated in the hands of a few
officers dealing with pensionary and legal matters who have
spent quite a few years in the corridors of the Services
Headquarters & the Ministry and decisions of filing appeals
are thrust upon the top brass without due judiciousness or
sensitivity concerning the issues at hand. This must change.
A letter recently marked to the Defence Minster by a an
ex-services welfare organisation aptly describes the rot :
“Lower staff at the Pension wing of the Defence Ministry is
also known to prepare misleading and deceptive noting sheets
which are put up to senior officers and even the Raksha Mantri,
who in good faith affix their initials leaving the gallery open to
such officers who then flaunt the said approvals by stating that
the same have the sanction of the Defence Minister. It is also
learnt that the officers in the Defence Ministry have asked Govt.
lawyers in writing to change their legal opinion when such
lawyers had advised against filing of appeals.”What is the game
behind this, one may ask. Well, the govt is well aware that
disabled veterans and poor pensioners do not have adequate
financial back-up to defend their cases in the Supreme Court,
so for the govt it is well worth taking a chance. I can only say
that in the interest of equity and fair-play, we all must wake
up before some officers take the entire defence services and the
legal system for a royal ride. It is also time for senior staff of the
Ministry and our uniformed officers to apply proper mind
before they permit their subordinates to resort to unethical
litigation against poor people who have served the nation to
the best of their abilities. The hint of my call is particularly
directed towards the upper echelons of Department of
Ex-Servicemen Welfare in the MoD and the Personnel Services
Directorate in the Army Headquarters. The tendency to view
poor litigants as ‘Enemies of the State’ must also change.

Military Secretary faces court martial :Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Source: The Hindu .
Military Secretary faces court martial
Special Correspondent
Army Chief accepts Defence Minister advice
DELHI: The Army Chief, General Deepak Kapoor, on Friday
accepted the advice of Defence Minister A. K. Antony by
ordering court martial proceedings against Military
Secretary Lieutenant General Avadesh Prakash for his
alleged involvement in a land scam in the Darjeeling
area of West Bengal. He would be the first three-star
general to face such action.General Kapoor was overruled
by Mr. Antony, who felt that the alleged misdemeanours of
General Prakash were serious enough to merit a court
martial and not just disciplinary proceedings preferred by
the Army Chief.As Military Secretary, General Prakash is
one of the closest aides to the Army Chief in dealing with
daily mattersand policy planning. The general is due to
retire in a couple of days.
General Prakash was indicted in an internal probe at
the command level along with the then 33 Corps Commander,
Lieutenant General P.K. Rath, his Chief of Staff at that time,
Lieutenant General Ramesh Halgali and the then Brigadier
Administration, Major GeneralP.C. Sen. Following a court of
inquiry, Eastern Army Commander Lieutenant General V.K.
Singh, who will be the next Army Chief, recommended
termination of services of General Prakash and
administrative action against the other officers.The
controversy arose after General Kapoor recommended
court martial proceedings against Lieutenant General
Rath and issued ashow-cause notice to others for
administrative action. It was felt by many in the Army
that General Kapoor was being unfair as the
same punishment ought to have been meted out to all
four officers.Mr. Antony overruled the Army Chief.
The officers were found culpable by an internal probe
of overruling their predecessors and issuing a
no-objection certificate to a private developer for leasing
71 acres of land next to the Sukna military station near
Darjeeling.
The developer was also found to have falsely represented
that he would open an educational institution affiliated
to the prestigiousMayo College, Ajmer. The probe at the
command level allegedly indicted Lieutenant General Rath
for inking a pact with the property developer provided a
certain percentage of seats was reserved for children of
armed forces personnel.Lieutenant General Prakash was
seen as being too interested in the case and persuading
his juniors to pursue the deal. Lieutenant General
Halgali was alleged to have suppressed information from
his seniors and Major General P.C. Sen was said to have
played anactive role in discussions with the developer
during his tenureat 33 Corps headquarters.

Link of Sainik-Rest-Houses in All Over India: Vet. Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Dear Veteran,
Regards. Find below the Link of Sainik-Rest-Houses in
All Over India for your information.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/25674535/Sainik-Rest-Houses

Letter to Director (Pension/ Policy), S. Harbans Singh: Vet. Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Dear Veterans,
Regards. Find above a letter faxed to Director
(Pension / Policy), S. Harbans Singh by
Ex Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Association,
# 3- Guru Ram Dass Nagar, Patiala.
Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.
Mob: 98554-09128 Telefax: 0175-5000896

Morale is down in the boots-Sidharth Mishra:Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Army: Morale is down in the boots-Sidharth Mishra
Chief of Army Staff General Deepak Kapoor has finally accepted
that morale in the Army was down on the account of senior
Generals being prima facie being found guilty of encouraging
and indulging into corrupt practices. Gen Deepak Kapoor made
this embarrassing admission at his annual Press conference
on the eve of Army Day. “The controversy has dented the image
of the Army,” Gen Kapoor said responding to a question at the
one-hour-long Press meet in New Delhi last week. When
specifically asked whether the jawans and young officers, who
were risking their lives in the defence of the nation, would feel
demoralised at the involvement of senior officers in such a scam,
the Army chief said, “Yes, it was the case.” It’s brave of General
Kapoor to have admitted it but thereafter his elucidation on
the matter remained evasive. On the action to be taken against
Military Secretary Lt General Avadhesh Prakash and three
others who are allegedly involved in the Sukna land controversy,
the General’s answer was not forthright. He said that Sukna
land scam was ‘individual case of misdemeanour and an
aberration’. Nothing is farther from the truth. Corruption in the
Army, for years, had remained limited to service arms like the
Ordnance and Supplies. Later it spread tentacles at the level of
the colonels and brigadiers. It was believed that a tough
promotion policy made it impossible for officers with tainted
background to make it to the General rank. Today we are facing
the spectacle of not one but four General rank officers facing
charges of corruption in the single Sukna case.Corruption level
in the armed forces today has not remained at petty level or
limited to fringe benefits. General Deepak Kapoor’s tenure
would probably be judged by history for surfacing of some most
reprehensible corruption cases. Sukna land scam is not the
first case of corruption among the brass and definitely not an
‘aberration’ as the General would want us to believe. There are
several instances during the present Chief’s tenure which would
not make us easily believe that corruption among the top brass
was just an ‘aberration’ and not the general trend. To begin, the
questionable transfer of Northern Army commander Lt General
HS Panag to a comparatively insignificant Central Command at
the behest of General Kapoor brought focus on a scam which is
said to have taken place when Kapoor was occupying Panag’s
chair as the Army Commander in Udhampur. Significantly,
Panag was transferred when he ordered an enquiry into
irregularities in the purchase of tents and related equipment.
General Panag was posted to the Central Command with just
nine months to go before his retirement as he had invited the
wrath of the Army Headquarters by ordering an inquiry into
irregularities in purchases of tents and related equipment
worth Rs 17 crore from the Army Commander’s special
financial powers fund. The purchases were made when General
Kapoor was heading the Northern Army. The other prominent
case is of a serving General being raided by the CBI. Major
General Anand Kapur of the Ordnance Corp, responsible for
the supply of arms and armaments to the Army, was allowed
to appear before an interview board for promotion to the next
rank despite his premises being raided by the CBI in a case
relating to accumulation of wealth disproportionate to the
known sources of income. The ‘tainted’ General was not only
allowed to appear before the promotion board, headed by the
Chief himself, a month after the raids but the Army HQ also
failed to initiate any move to impose the disciplinary and
vigilance ban on Kapur, a mandatory step towards initiation
of the court of inquiry. In fact, Kapur was allowed to function
in active service despite the CBI case against him and his
case was forwarded to the Ministry of Defence for promotion
to the next rank. There was another case, discussed in the
hushed tones in the corridors of the South Block, of a Principal
Staff Officer of the present Chief escaping prosecution by the
CBI as the plea for seeking permission for the same came up
before the government on November 26, 2008, the day
Pak-trained terrorist went loose in Mumbai. With the nation
under attack, it is said, the Government thought it prudent to
withhold permission lest it further demoralize the nation and
forces. The story doesn’t end there. General Kapoor’s tenure is
also replete with the extra-ordinary case of a General’s
promotion being mired into controversy on the eve of his
taking charge of the Eastern Army at Fort William, Kolkata.
It relates to the controversy about the correct age of Lt. General
VK Singh, who is tipped to succeed the current Army Chief
General Deepak Kapoor.If the date of birth was found to have
been recorded incorrectly, a dark horse would have emerged
to succeed Kapoor. This dark horse would have been nobody
other than Lt Gen PC Bharadwaj, who succeeded Panag as the
head of the Udhampur-based Northern Command.Corruption
in the Army had remained limited to service arms like the
Ordnance and Supplies. Later it spread tentacles at the level
of the colonels and brigadiers. It was believed that a tough
promotion policy made it impossible for officers with tainted
background to make it to the General rank. Today we are
facing the spectacle of not one but four General rank officers
facing charges of corruption in the single Sukna case.
Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.
Mob: 98554-09128 Telefax: 0175-5000896

Army hunting for ballastic shields:Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Army hunting for ballistic shields :
Vijay MohanTribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 16To provide enhanced protection to its
troops engaged in counterterrorism operations in confined
areas in the northern sector, the Army is seeking hand-held
ballistic shields. These would protect troops from the effects
of small arms fire and \limited blasts while clearing built up
areas.
The Army has already floated a request for information for the
supplyof an initial batch of 32 such shields, each of which
would be about three feet long, weigh about 10 kg and shield
user’s face and body while offering wide visibility, maneuverability
and tactical advantage. The Army wants the shields to conform to
NIJ-0108.01 standards for level-IIIA threats, which is the standard
US government specification for ballistic shields that offer
protection against pistoland sub-machinegun ammunition.
Besides having a bulletproof window offering a wide-angle forward
view, the shields would also be having a LED headlight that would
serve the dual purpose of illuminating the area ahead as well as
blinding potential adversaries. According to experts, such shields
provide ballistic protection to assault teams during dynamic entry
situations and approaches towards potentially armed individuals.
These offer enhanced protection as bulletproof jackets and helmets
protect only the head and the chest, leaving the face, neck, lower
body and limbs vulnerable to fire and blasts. Ballistic shields are
also invaluable in situations where there is little or no cover. In
the backdrop of recent terrorist situations and suicidal attacks,
ballistic shields are becoming standard equipment for law
enforcement agencies when approaching potentially armed
suspects in public areas.
And as part of improving security of its complexes in Jammu and
Kashmir, the Army is also in the process of acquiring high-speed
barriers to stop hostile speeding vehicles crashing through the
perimeter.
The Army is hunting for barriers that can be activated remotely
and have a power backup in case of electricity failure. Significantly,
these would also have a sensor detection system so that the gate
operates automatically on detection of a unique security sensor
installed on vehicles. These sensors would be issued in a controlled
manner and also held reduce stress levels of troops on guard duty, besides
giving them added advantage and safeguards.

An institution called Subedar Major

The Tribune: ON LINE EDITION
Monday, January 4, 2010, Chandigarh, India
An institution called Subedar Major : by B.K. Karkra

It is difficult to describe the position and prestige that a Subedar

Major enjoys in a unit. Whatever you say about him would fall

short of the parameters of his personality. He is rather an

institution in himself. His commanding officer often falls back

on his advice in difficult situations-specially, those related to

the morale, welfare and discipline of his men and the image of

the unit.Most of the clout that he commands comes out of the

position of trust that he enjoys with his commanding officer who

regards him as a repository of wisdom, sagacity, sobriety,

maturity, loyalty, cool-headedness and above all, a sort of

farmer’s horse-sense. But, this is not all. Let me try to explain

this phenomenon more properly through a couple of incidents.

An Army unit was on an operational exercise in a highly

undulated and slippery area. Their divisional commander, a

Major General, came to oversee them. When being escorted to

the exercise area, he slipped and fell on the ground. Seeing

the plight of the embarrassed General, the Subedar Major of the

unit, following behind his C.O. lost no time in slipping himself

in an equally ungainly thud. He then stood up smartly and

said, “Saab, yahan to hum roz bees bees bar girte hain (Sir, we

fall here scores of times every day)”. That put the General at

ease instantly, though he did not fail to notice, rather

approvingly, why the Subedar Major had enacted all this. Here

was a typical S.M. discharging one of his multi-dimensional

roles to perfection.Some 32 years back, the 51 Battalion,

C.R.P.Force that I commanded was doing training under an

Army brigade at the peak of summer. Our men then did not

get any ration allowance. So, their messing had to be managed

within their own meagre resources.Something affordable was

needed to be done to save them from heat stoke. I directed that

they would be served daily two glasses of diluted milk beverage

(lassi). Almond, rose and other essences were to be added for

flavour. This worked well, in that none of my men was laid with

heat stroke and they enjoyed the drink also.

Encouraged with this, I got another brain wave. The summer

was now over. I briefed my faithful S.M. that the sub-units

would prepare ‘kanji’, a black carrot based beverage that also

works out cheap and is quite tasty and invigorating.

Thus, massive ‘matkas’ (earthen pots) were promptly procured

in the unit to brew the beverage for the men. After a few days

I checked with my Subedar Major how the idea had done. With

his usual sense of obedience, he stated that the men were duly

being made to drink it ‘hukamiya’ i.e. under orders. On my

prodding, he came out that otherwise the men did not like it.

The incident explains yet another facet of a Subedar Major’s

profile —there are, of course, many more to it.

Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Details of PM Scholarship-S.Kannan:veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Dear Veterans,
Regards. Find below the details of PM Scholarship.
vetreran Prabhjot singh chhatwal PLS Retd.
7 Jan 10, 12:25 AM
KENDRIYA SAINIK BOARD UNDER DGR INDIA HAD LAID DOWN THE NEW FORMAT FOR PMs SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME: 2009-2010 FOR CHILDREN OF ESM DOING PROFESSIONAL COURSES DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE IN LINK GIVEN ABOVE AND INTERESTED PERSONNEL CAN APPLY . LAST DATE 15 FEB 2010
S.Kannan: http://media.dgrindia.com/worddoc/kendriya/Form_of_PM_Scholarship.doc

Cops face music for 'partying with mafia-Tribune News Service :Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Cops face music for ‘partying’ with mafia:Shiv Kumar-
Tribune News Service.
Mumbai, January 2-Five police officers in Mumbai face suspension
after they were recorded dancing at a party thrown by members of
the Chotta Rajan gang on Christmas Eve.
According to sources, Mumbai police Commissioner D Sivanandan
today recommended the suspension of DCP VN Salve and ACP Prakash
Wani along with three other junior officers for attending the party
thrown by a member of the Chotta Rajan gang, Paulson Thomas.
Those who joined the party included top member of the gang, DK Rao,
who was released from jail a few days ago. Apparently the party was
thrown to celebrate his release, police said.
The party was organised at the posh Chembur Gymkhana on Christmas
Eve after regular patrons were hurriedly asked to leave at around
midnight. The police officers got into trouble after one of those attending
the party recorded them dancing with Rao on his mobile camera. The
footage of less than two minutes was leaked to television channels and newspapers earlier this week by members of the police force who were
opposed to the two officers, sources said.
On Friday, Home Minister RR Patil asked Mumbai Police Commissioner
D Sivanandan to probe the matter. Today, Sivanandan is said to have recommended suspension of the five officers followed by an inquiry.
If found guilty of enjoying the hospitality of the gangsters, the two IP
S officers face dismissal from the police force.
While it became clear today that the government may carry out the
suspension of the policemen, Wani told reporters that he was innocent.
The officer with more than 30 years’ experience denied that he was the one featuring in the video clip though media reports claimed that the video
shot in dim light clearly resembled Wani.
Wani added that he had indeed attended a party at the premises but was accompanied by his family and did not meet any gangsters there.
Late this evening, Additional Commissioner of Police Deven Bharti, who was investigating the matter, told reporters that the clips seemed genuine.