|
New Delhi: The
government Monday approved a Rs.2,300 crore per year (about $430
million) proposal to fix the anomalies in the pay and pension of
1.3-million strong defence personnel, 2 million ex-servicemen and
another 400,000 military widows, in a bid to assuage their hurt
over the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations implemented in 2008.
"The union cabinet has approved the recommendations of the
committee headed by cabinet secretary (Ajit Seth) for benefits to
ex-servicemen on four issues. The financial implications of the
improvements made as per the cabinet decision on the four items
are broadly estimated at Rs.2,300 crore per annum," a government
official said here soon after the cabinet meeting.
"These are expected to largely meet the demands of the defence
pensioners on 'one rank - one pension' (OROP)," the official said.
The approved proposals would be implemented "from a prospective
date and payment made accordingly," the official added.
The committee, set up on July 13 this year on orders of Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh, submitted its report on Aug 8 this year.
The government had tasked the committee to look into issues of
defence personnel such as common pay-scale for in-service junior
commissioned officers and other ranks and initial pay-fixation of
lieutenant colonels, colonels, and brigadiers of the army and
their equivalents in the other two armed forces among others.
Its remit also included ex-servicemen's issues such as OROP (that
all retired officers of the same rank and service tenure should
get the same pension), enhancement of family pension, dual family
pension, and family pension for mentally and physically challenged
children of armed forces personnel on marriage.
On OROP, the demand of the defence forces and ex-servicemen
associations is that uniform pension be paid to the personnel
retiring in the same rank with the same length of service
irrespective of their date of retirement and any future
enhancement in the rates of pension be automatically passed on to
the pre-hike pensioners.
The difference in the pension in the same rank occurs on account
of the number of increments earned by the defence personnel in
that rank. There is also a difference between the pensioners who
retired before and after Jan 1, 2006 when the sixth pay commission
recommendations were made applicable retrospectively belonging to
a particular rank.
The UPA government, since 2004, has on two previous occasions
taken decisions to narrow the gap in pensions of personnel who
retired at different points of time, particularly those belonging
to the ranks of junior commissioned officers (JCOs) and soldiers
(other ranks or ORs).
On the issue of OROP, the cabinet approved bridging the gap in the
pension of pre- and post-Jan, 1, 2006 JCO/OR retirees by
determining the pension of pre-Jan 1, 2006 retirees on the basis
of notional maximum for ranks and groups across the three services
as in the case of post-Jan. 1, 2006 retirees.
With regard to family pension, the pre-Jan 1, 2006 commissioned
officers, honorary commissioned officers, JCOs/ORs would be hiked
based on "the minimum of the fitment table" instead of the minimum
of the Pay Band.
It was also approved to provide 60 per cent of pension to families
of retired JCOs/ORs after their death post-retirement. To retired
JCO/OR families getting enhanced family pension or special family
pension would be entitled for 100 per cent of the personnel's
pension.
Dual family pension too would be allowed to those personnel, who
had civilian service too post military service retirement.
Family pension will be continued to mentally/physically challenged
children of defence personnel even after their marriage.
|
Comments
|
Quick links