Date: 18 Dec 2014

Dear Shri Manohar Parrikar,

I am sorry it is long but assures you it is worth read.
The other afternoon I chanced upon your interview on Headlines Today.
Honestly, you came across as a simple, direct, honest and a good person.
I get a feeling that your recent inconsistent utterances on One Rank One Pension (OROP) are perhaps because you
are surrounded by a Ministry of Defence (MoD) coterie with a proven record of lies, deceit and acrimony towards the
Defence Forces- ironically the very ones who they are chartered to look after.
I am therefore taking the liberty to put across some select counter-points, to give a balanced view on OUR travails
with the MoD.
Just to illustrate how MoD staff lies/ distorts perceptions, let me take the OROP issue. It is unfathomable why figures
on funds required for OROP vary so drastically, from Rs3,000 crore, given by Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare
(DESW) to Koshiyari Committee in 2011 to Rs1,300 crore as given by Department of Expenditure under the Ministry
of Finance to the same Committee, to Rs9300 given by Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), an auditor
and accountant, to about Rs13,000 crore now quoted recently by you (I presume on advise from CGDA or DESW).
This shifting of figures (goalposts) are either blatant and mischievous lies, or worse, gross departmental incompetence
on a very important issue. Every one smells a rat here. Do you?
Sir, they (DESW/ CGDA) need to make basis of their calculations and the tables for OROP public for open discussion.
Without that, the closed door, intriguing modality of their hush hush functioning can only be to the detriment of the
Defence fraternity. Will you be able to get them to do that please?
I was a little disappointed with your statement on OROP; you said 80% or 90% satisfaction and repeated thrice that
100% satisfaction is NOT possible, although you will try. What makes you unsure of the 100% satisfaction? I am sure
you are probably by now as sceptical of the MoD babus as we veterans are. Since money seems to be a problem, I
have question for you. How come the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), which has given
nothing substantial in terms of results (Please read the report at
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Unprofessional-HAL-DRDO-slammed-for-lostdecades/articleshow/45529978.cms) and has been slammed by many committees for its failure is being pumped with
money when the MOD does not have Rs1,860 crore to meet 100% aspirations of OROP?
I have followed most of your statements since your appointment as Raksha Mantri and must admit as time passes that
you are indeed fast picking up on the job. The first indication was your statement that the man behind the weapon is
as important. A distinct departure from your earlier views. This has encouraged me to write this open letter to you.
Many a times the babu will tell you that the defence forces are not All India Class A service but different. They are
right for unlike Class A services it is only the defence service that
1. Pay by death for follies and mismanagement of policies by Bureaucrats and Politicians. Be it 1962 or Sri
Lanka or Jammu and Kashmir (J&K)
2. It is the only force that reports to a person (Defence Secretary) who has never probably been even in NCC
leave alone the Armed Forces.
3. It is the only service that comes to the rescue of hopelessly failed civil administration at the time of any man
made or natural disaster in the country.
4. It is the only service much sought after by International bodies for peace keeping operations abroad.
Sir, they are the , of the country.
It does not end there. Under the illogical and lopsided argument that the defence forces are not a Class A service,
they have been badly discriminated in many ways. Some of these Discriminations are listed below. These bring out
something that the mandarins of MoD will never tell you about.
1. Non-implementation of AFT judgment. Being Bloody Minded.
Navindra Devis husband, NK Rajpal Singh, wandered off from his Army unit in Bikaner, Rajasthan, while being
treated for a psychiatric illness. His body was later found in a well. The unit showed him retrospectively on annual
leave. The Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) held the Army responsible for his death and awarded Navindra Devi special
family pension with 10% interest from the date of death and Rs10 lakh as compensation. The order, passed on 8
December 2011, has still to be implemented.

Brig TS Sekhon had to undergo an emergency procedure on his heart while visiting Germany in 2008. He was refused
reimbursement of medical bills by the MoD under the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) on the
grounds that there was no provision of reimbursement when a person undergoes treatment abroad. The AFT, based
on a similar Supreme Court pronouncement, directed the ECHS to reimburse the amount at rates that the said
procedure would have cost in India had the emergency happened here. The judgment, passed on 28 February 2011,
remains unimplemented.
Just shows how bloody minded our own are towards those they are supposed to look after the welfare.
2. Officers Equations with Civil
Please look at the table below to see how the Defence personnel have been downgraded over a period of time.
Civil Grade
Junior Time Scale

3rd CPC
Junior to Captain

4th CPC
Equal to Captain

Senior Time Scale

Equal to Captain

Equal to Major

Selection
Grade/
NonFunctional Selection Grade
(SG/ NFSG)

Equal to Major

Senior to Major

Remarks
2/ Lt, Lt and Capt
clubbed by 3rd CPC

Army Ranks (Clerical Cadre) vis--vis Civilian (Clerical Cadre)

Sepoy, Lance Naik, Naik and Havildar
Naib Subedar (Gazetted Rank)
Subedar (Gazetted Rank)

Subedar Major (Gazetted Rank)

Lower Division Clerk

Upper Division Clerk (With less than five years service)
(Non Gazetted Post)
Upper Division Clerk (With more than five years
service),and Office Supdt Grade -II (Both, Non
Gazetted Posts)
Office Superintendent Grade-I (Non Gazetted Post)

3. Comparison of Allowances- Defence and Civilian Government Employees:

Type of Allowance
Disabled Employees

Civilian Employee
Govt has to retain them till 60 yrs under
Disability Act
Those having disability attributable /
aggravated due to service under
Category 'B' & 'C' are sanctioned
disability element 60 % of reckonable
emoluments for 100% disability and
those in category 'D' & 'E' are given
equal to last pay.

(a) Protection of Service

The spouse of category 'B' & 'C' are

eligible for family pension equal to 60%
of pay and those of category 'D' & 'E' are
eligible for 100% of pay irrespective of
reasons as to how was the disabled
service person die viz the death was
due to injury / disease or not.
Full protection under Section 47 of the
Act. Will not be discharged on account
of disability

Defence Employees
Invalided
(Thrown)
out of
service immediately
For Defence it is 30% of last
pay for 100 % disability and
60% for war injury cases.

Defence it is just 30% of pay

unless you prove that it was
due to disease contracted due
to service by plethora of
documentary proof.

Defence Forces exempted

from operation of Section 47.
Hence no protection of
employment available in case
of disability.

(b) Pay and Allowances

Full pay and allowances admissible till

the age of 60 even if unable to attend
any official duty. Can even be kept on
supernumerary post and paid all pay
and allowances.

Employee can be discharged

on account of disability.

(c) Pension

Entitled to full service length till

superannuation and pension thereafter.

Nil Admissible

Full pay and pension and complete

Government
protection/cover
with
entitled
facilities
Admissible
to
dependents

Nil Admissible

(d) Right to life of dignity of self

and family

(e) Increase in Pension of highest

rank employee from 1973 to 2006

(f) Period of Service

108 times Highest Civilian Functionary

Pension
1973 - Rs416.50 pm
2006 - Rs45,000 pm
Upto60 years of age

(g) Career Progression

Three Promotions at 10,20,30 years of

service

(h)Officers Promotion opportunities

100% Joint Sec at 16-18 years Service

100% Addl Sec at 32 years Service

Non-functional Upgradtion (NFU)

JS Pay at approx22 yrs.

Addl Sec Pay at 32yrs

Nil. No facilities or protection

for self and dependents
45 times
Highest Def Rank Pension
1973 - Rs1,000 pm and in
2006 - Rs45,000 pm
85% compulsorily
retired
between 35 -37 years age.
12-13%compulsorily
retired
between 40-54 years age
Three promotion at 8, 16,
24 years of service.
85% compulsorily retired at
15-17 years service; thereby
denied 3rdcareer progression
1% Maj Gen at 32-33 years of
service.
3% Lt Gen 33-35years
Nil

Sir, even as the MoD remains an unfettered law unto themselves, the latest slap on the MoD/ DESW, has been given
by the Judiciary when 800 appeals filed by MoD in cases of disability have been dismissed by a single order of the
Supreme Court. I dont think there is a greater indictment of the babu in treating the Defence forces as Children of
lesser God.
Should you not now be taking someone to task against this mindless melee? Unfortunately, I find the same babu Mr
Harbans Singh, who was a cause of above mindless litigations against Veterans, is being reemployed in DESW for
the 4th time. This is disturbing news for the Veteran Community, and can definitely not bode well for our mutual trust
and faith. May I request you to please intervene? I notice some veteran organizations have already lodged their
protest over this.
Besides the above, I would like to bring to your notice a few more discriminations against the defence forces.
1. Pensionable Service
For Civilian Employees of GOI the minimum service required to be eligible for pension is 10 yrs.
However for defence forces the minimum service required to earn pension is 15 years for JCO and OR and 20
years for Officers. In actuality, this is the service required to earn standard pension, and NOT service to be
Eligible for Pension. If Pension is deferred wages then how is it that a defence person who has put in the
same service as his civilian counterpart is denied this deferred wage for less than 15/20 years service?
Incidentally, the Navy Pension Regulations (An act of parliament, which has never been revised) even today
permits proportionate pension for less than service required to earn standard pension which is at 20 yrs
service for officers.
2. Role of CGDA in Policy making
The CGDA and CAG have the same role i.e. audit and account. Yet whilst the CAG does not play any part in
the policy making process of the departments of government you must have noticed active participation of
CGDA in many cases including OROP? Why is this exception for the defence auditor and accountant? The
CGDA has declined to respond to queries under RTI as to how figures of Rs9,300 crores were arrived at in

relation to OROP, stating the information is confidential. Why should this be so when the DGL drafted by the
Services Headquarters is in the public domain? What is the need for confidentiality in this unless the CGDA
working out is faulty or the matter is a lie?
The role of CGDA as defined on their website is:
The office of the Accountant General, Military Department, was created in April 1864. In 1865, the
Government recognized this position as the Head of the Military Accounts Department. In 1922, office of
Military Accountant General was reorganized post-war and 1 MAG, 2 Dy.MAGs, 2 Asstt. MAGs and 100
Accountants and clerks were sanctioned. Office of MAG then comprised of 8 sections viz. Record,AN, Audit,
Accounts, Estimate, Pay, Foreign Claims and Inspection.
The Department was re-named as Defence Accounts Department (DAD) on October 1st, 1951 and the
Departmental Head designated as Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA). For more than three
decades after independence, the DAD functioned under the administrative control of the Ministry of Finance.
With the introduction of the Integrated Financial Advisor scheme in the Ministry of Defence from August 1983,
the Department came under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence.
My question is
1. How an auditor can also be the record keeper, accountant and estimator (on policy matters)?
2. In addition, how can the auditor be under the Ministry that it is supposed to audit? There is a need to
reorganize CGDA so that audit and inspection functions are separated from Accounts .The estimates role
should now be that of the Department of Expenditure, under Ministry of Finance.
3. Non-implementation of AFT judgment.
Navindra Devis husband, NK Rajpal Singh, wandered off from his Army unit in Bikaner, Rajasthan, while
being treated for a psychiatric illness. His body was later found in a well. The unit showed him retrospectively
on annual leave. The Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) held the Army responsible for his death and awarded
Navindra Devi special family pension with 10% interest from the date of death and Rs10 lakh as
compensation. The order, passed on 8 December 2011, has still to be implemented.
Brig TS Sekhon had to undergo an emergency procedure on his heart while visiting Germany in 2008. He was
refused reimbursement of medical bills by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) under the Ex-Servicemen
Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) on the grounds that there was no provision of reimbursement when a
person undergoes treatment abroad. The AFT, based on a similar Supreme Court pronouncement, directed
the ECHS to reimburse the amount at rates that the said procedure would have cost in India had the
emergency happened here. The judgment, passed on 28 February 2011, remains unimplemented.
Just shows how bloody minded our own are towards those they are supposed to look after the welfare.
3. Process for issue of various orders
The orders on pay and pension and policy for civilian employees are expeditiously issued as OM or a letter by
the DOPT and are followed by all. Regrettably, orders issued by MoD (DESW) need a circular by
CGDA/PCDA to be followed. It is not understood why this additional layer of Bureaucracy. Another example is
the order for REVISION OF DISABILITY / WAR INJURY ELEMENT Pre 2006 Veterans. The orders on the
civil side have been issued effective 24/09/2012 but the orders for Defence are pending. EVEN NOW. Why?
4. Stark disparity in paying due compensation to the Martyrs families
I would like to cite just two examples of this. Whilst one has no cribs as to what anyone gets, the
discrimination surely hurts.
A Delhi policeman was give Rs1 crore recently when he was gunned down by criminals. What would be paid
to the family of Army soldier/ an officer killed in counter insurgency operations in J&K? Well the family would
get a compensation of Rs15 lakh.
During 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, Maj Sandeep Unnikrishnan lost his life. His parents were paid a sum of Rs1
lakh. Soon thereafter, some people died in Kerala because of consuming hooch. Their families were paid Rs5
lakh each!
What do I do of? liquor or a bullet?
Surely, there is a need to have a relook at what should be paid to whom, and a National policy on this is the
need of the hour.
5. ECHS
The cost of treatment of a patient for any disease is the same as the disease does not recognize a Defence
veteran and a civilian as two different groups. Yet in allocation of funds on per capita basis there is
discrimination. The ECHS has a per head allocation of Rs3,500 where as the CGHS has an allocation of
Rs10,000 per head. Why this stark discrimination?

The funds allotted to ECHS do not even meet the demand. Please see the chart below.
PROJECTION VIS A VIS ALLOTMENT
(REVENUE & CAPITAL)

(Source: Regional Director, ECHS Mumbai Power Point Presentation)

6.

DESW Functioning
Given the Veterans Gross misgivings and distrust about the Department of Ex Servicemen Welfare (DESW),
it is shocking to learn (http://desw.gov.in/budget), that while the department does not at all meet the Veteran
aspirations and expectations, their spending pattern is meaninglessly lavish as indicated in table below. Why
should the State support such extravagance and that too without having the department delivers on the task
of Veteran welfare it is set up for?
IN
THOUSANDS

IN
THOUSANDS

IN
THOUSANDS

IN
THOUSANDS

RE 2012-13

Actual
Expenditure
2012-13

RE 2013-14

BE 2014-15

Salaries(Voted)

26624

23438

26300

29840

Over
Time
Allowance
Medical Treatment

108

44

90

123

588

72

518

699

Domestic
Expenses

Travel

3060

3057

2587

3500

Foreign
Travel
Expenses
Office Expenses

2700

2505

2283

3087

2520

668

2108

2882

Advertising
Publicity
Information
Technology

9000

8137

7609

10291

4500

1857

3805

5178

49100

39776

45300

55600

Object Head

Total

&

THE ABOVE BUDGET EXCLUDES Budget & Expenditure -- 3 years (ECHS) , Budget & Expenditure -- 3
years (DGR) , Budget & Expenditure -- 3 years (KSB)
Following questions arise:
1. Who are these beneficiaries of roughly Rs10 lakhs as over time allowance PER YEAR? Evidence indicates
that the beneficiaries may surely be working overtime to appeal against court judgments favourable to
Veterans.
2. When actual expenditure on medical treatment is Rs7.2 lakhs during 2012-2013 why BE of Rs518 and Rs699
lakhs provided for in 2013-2014 and 2014-15? All of them are covered by CHGS in Delhi. So what is this
expense?
3. Foreign travel budget Rs2.5 to Rs3.5 crore!!! Mind boggling really. What is this GREAT foreign travel for ESM
welfare? Did these trips result in some revolutionary changes FAVORING Veterans?
Surely the budget has no realistic projections and yet they same department talks of lack of money for OROP and
budgets itself without any rationale. Do you believe that a department that cannot even make its own budget correctly
can give you correct figures on OROP?
Sir, I think I have given you a fairly-good view of the poor governance in the government as far as Veterans and
Defence is concerned.
Your Government has a declared mission to bring about good governance and I strongly recommend that above
inputs from us affected Citizenry be kept in mind in evolving newer and fairer processes and organizational
refinements towards this. Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches.
-Cdr Ravindra Waman Pathak I.N. (Retd)
1 Surashri, 1146 Lakaki Road
Shivajinagar
Pune 411016
The Indian Soldier who gives so much and asks for nothing but dignity and a little understanding from his
country-men