Monday, June 1, 2009

A LOOK AT THE PLIGHT OF OFFICERS BELOW LT COLONELS RANK, ESPECIALLY MAJORS.by Maj Onkar Negi

From: Onkar Negi

Subject: A LOOK AT THE PLIGHT OF OFFICERS BELOW LT COLONELS RANK, ESPECIALLY MAJORS

To: rajkadyan@yahoo.com, satbirsm@yahoo.com, kamboj-cs@yahoo.co.in
Date: Monday, 1 June, 2009, 10:11 PM


Dear Sirs,
Compliments of the day.
Most honourably, it is being brought to your kind notice that in the wake of revision of pension in consonance with duly amended 6th Pay Commission Recommendations officers below Lt Colonel Rank especially Majors have not been considered justifiably. The following anomalies are high lighted for your perusal and taking up with the Govt.
a) Pre 1996, officers were promoted to substantive Major after 13 years of regular service, now Lt Col are being promoted at 13 years of service and are performing the same duties which Majors used to perform. A senior Maj with 16 years and above of service used to perform second in command of the unit which is now being performed by Colonels with 16 years of service. The qualification and service requirements for these catagories of officers is same as that of Majors. Then why pre 1996 retirees of Major Rank with 13 and 16 years of service are not taken at par with Lt Col and Colonel of post 2006. This must be read under the provisions of Article 14 and 16 of the Constitution. The contention is only for accruability of pensionary benefits.
b) If it is taken in right perspective then a parity of status and stature as existed earlier was among Lieutenants and Captains, Majors -Lt Colonels and Colonels, Brigadiers and Major Generals, Lieutenants Generals and Generals should be maintained even now. A time scale Lt Colonel was as good as a Major for all practical purposes. Now with implementation the 6th PCR there is a wide pensionary gap between Lt Cols and Majors. Here you would bear it out that both classes of officers are part of the same society and live with same dearness. Today the plight is that a post 2006 retired Subedar Majors are getting the same or in some cases more pension as that of pre 1996 retired Majors. Is it not a humiliation for officer cadre or the officer cadre is reckonable from Lt Colonels upwards? Retirement of Majors and Captains was very common during pre 1996 PCR.
c) In case of Maj Generals and Brigadiers pension issue and Pre 1996 and post 2006 pension differences in the same rank of Maj Generals the Hon’ble Supreme Court gave verdict in favour of the petitioners vide Supreme Court Cases 2008, Volume 9, Page no 125.
d) I have only one submission to the President of IESM League to approach the Govt for re-structuring the pay and pension for defence personnel whereby undue wide gaps are abridged judiciously and the pay pension and position of the Major Rank be protected as akin to Lt Colonel and Colonels.
I am sure you would appreciate the real concern and present it accordingly before the govt.
Let me wind up with best wishes and warmest regards.
Yours sincerely,
Onkar Singh Negi,
Maj (1990Retiree)