By Ranjana Shahi
Friends, do you know that the Indian Government is the only government in the world who files appeals in 90% of the cases against its own disabled soldiers belonging both to military and paramilitary forces!
Do you know that our soldiers (non-commissioned) start retiring after the age of 34-35! Do you know that some of our Disabled Soldiers are boarded out of service by granting a very meager amount of disability pension! Many of such soldiers who are 50% to 100% disabled (including war injured) are thrown out of the service because they have become disabled while serving the nation whereas their civilian counterparts are protected under Section 47 of Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 enabling them to earn full pay and allowances during their service and then full pension on retirement!
Let's all stand up and demand dignity and justice for our soldiers, our protectors. Early retirement of defence personnel and the duty of the nation to take care of them:
1. Soldiers are a highly trained and a disciplined manpower, so after their retirement from the forces they should be inducted in the civil sector till the age of superannuation (Lateral Induction). This will benefit the soldiers as well as the government because on one hand the government will get highly trained employees and rather than paying pension to them the government will pay salaries and get quality work in return and on the other hand this will benefit the soldiers with dignified employment as they have nowhere to go after retiring from the forces at a young age.
2. The majority of the disabled soldiers who are low medical category for further service in the Armed Forces are pretty fit for the medical standards of civil jobs hence they should be inducted by the government in the civil sector.
3. Such of the disabled soldiers (especially war injured) who are totally unfit to be re-employed should get the same benefit as their counterparts in civil services i.e. full protection of pay and allowances till superannuation age and then war injury pension thereafter.
One Rank One Pension: The concept of One Rank One Pension (OROP) signifying similar pension for similar ranks with similar length of service should be implemented at the earliest.
LITIGATION AGAINST ITS OWN DISABLED SOLDIERS BY THE GOVERNMENT
Government Should Stop Litigation against Its Own Disabled Soldiers in the Supreme Court once the courts/tribunals below have decided the cases in their favour.
GENDER DISCRIMINATION
Provide permanence to all categories of women officers. In some cases, women officers with even 13-14 years of service are holding the rank of substantive Captain while their male counterparts have achieved the rank of Lt. Col.
SHORT SERVICE COMMISSIONED OFFICERS
While there is a provision of pension after only 10 years of service for civil employees if the government retires them, Short Service Officers of the defence services are released without any kind of pension even after 14 years of service. SSCOs are being denied medical facilities even after an in-principle assent by the Govt. The status and dignity of SSCOs should be protected when they join the civil sector.
ARMED FORCES TRIBUNAL
AFT should be given the power to get its own orders implemented and should not be under Ministry of Defence.
LACK OF ANY MONTHLY SUBSISTENCE TO WORLD WAR II VETERANS
More than 20 lacs Indians were recruited in the defence services during WW-II which is almost double the number of the standing Army of today. Many of such WWII veterans were released from service on reduction of establishment without any pension or monthly subsistence, and without any fault of theirs. Though some State Governments have been benevolent in paying them a small amount per month, no such subsistence is being paid by the central government to such veterans, most of who are in the last stages of their lives. Recently the Kerala High Court had directed a payment of Rs 3000 to such WW-II veterans but interestingly the Minister of defence has implemented the order only for veterans of Kerala (his own state).
PARA MILITARY FORCE
Similarly schemes are required to be implemented and taken up with the State Governments to make reservations for the Central Paramilitary Personnel who are boarded out as low medical category. Medical treatment post retirement and welfare akin to the Defence Service Welfare Department in States for the Retired Ex Paramilitary Personnel.
Friends, do you know that the Indian Government is the only government in the world who files appeals in 90% of the cases against its own disabled soldiers belonging both to military and paramilitary forces!
Do you know that our soldiers (non-commissioned) start retiring after the age of 34-35! Do you know that some of our Disabled Soldiers are boarded out of service by granting a very meager amount of disability pension! Many of such soldiers who are 50% to 100% disabled (including war injured) are thrown out of the service because they have become disabled while serving the nation whereas their civilian counterparts are protected under Section 47 of Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 enabling them to earn full pay and allowances during their service and then full pension on retirement!
Let's all stand up and demand dignity and justice for our soldiers, our protectors. Early retirement of defence personnel and the duty of the nation to take care of them:
1. Soldiers are a highly trained and a disciplined manpower, so after their retirement from the forces they should be inducted in the civil sector till the age of superannuation (Lateral Induction). This will benefit the soldiers as well as the government because on one hand the government will get highly trained employees and rather than paying pension to them the government will pay salaries and get quality work in return and on the other hand this will benefit the soldiers with dignified employment as they have nowhere to go after retiring from the forces at a young age.
2. The majority of the disabled soldiers who are low medical category for further service in the Armed Forces are pretty fit for the medical standards of civil jobs hence they should be inducted by the government in the civil sector.
3. Such of the disabled soldiers (especially war injured) who are totally unfit to be re-employed should get the same benefit as their counterparts in civil services i.e. full protection of pay and allowances till superannuation age and then war injury pension thereafter.
One Rank One Pension: The concept of One Rank One Pension (OROP) signifying similar pension for similar ranks with similar length of service should be implemented at the earliest.
LITIGATION AGAINST ITS OWN DISABLED SOLDIERS BY THE GOVERNMENT
Government Should Stop Litigation against Its Own Disabled Soldiers in the Supreme Court once the courts/tribunals below have decided the cases in their favour.
GENDER DISCRIMINATION
Provide permanence to all categories of women officers. In some cases, women officers with even 13-14 years of service are holding the rank of substantive Captain while their male counterparts have achieved the rank of Lt. Col.
SHORT SERVICE COMMISSIONED OFFICERS
While there is a provision of pension after only 10 years of service for civil employees if the government retires them, Short Service Officers of the defence services are released without any kind of pension even after 14 years of service. SSCOs are being denied medical facilities even after an in-principle assent by the Govt. The status and dignity of SSCOs should be protected when they join the civil sector.
ARMED FORCES TRIBUNAL
AFT should be given the power to get its own orders implemented and should not be under Ministry of Defence.
LACK OF ANY MONTHLY SUBSISTENCE TO WORLD WAR II VETERANS
More than 20 lacs Indians were recruited in the defence services during WW-II which is almost double the number of the standing Army of today. Many of such WWII veterans were released from service on reduction of establishment without any pension or monthly subsistence, and without any fault of theirs. Though some State Governments have been benevolent in paying them a small amount per month, no such subsistence is being paid by the central government to such veterans, most of who are in the last stages of their lives. Recently the Kerala High Court had directed a payment of Rs 3000 to such WW-II veterans but interestingly the Minister of defence has implemented the order only for veterans of Kerala (his own state).
PARA MILITARY FORCE
Similarly schemes are required to be implemented and taken up with the State Governments to make reservations for the Central Paramilitary Personnel who are boarded out as low medical category. Medical treatment post retirement and welfare akin to the Defence Service Welfare Department in States for the Retired Ex Paramilitary Personnel.
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