OROP? WHAT'S THAT?

 CONTINUED GOVERNMENT INTRANSIGENCE

From Brig Inder Mohan Singh, President IESL.

Air Marshall Jagjeet Singh, Sr VP Airforce Association, Brig OP Yadav and Capt VS Narwal, both VPs IESL were also present.

Dear Veterans,

I would like to share with you the details of my meeting with Sh VK Singh,  Secy ESW on 07 Jun.

The points I raised were given in writing to the Secy. These have been posted in the environment also. Discussions and views on these are below.

OROP 2: Like it or not, the Secy said there will be no meeting as suggested by us between the CGDA/PCDA (PENSIONS) to resolve the anomalies. The problem he said is with funds. We were shown the data of the USA, UK and India on defence budgets and share of pay and pensions. The USA was shown to have a defence budget of $ 1000 or 1100 billion and 16 per cent spent on pay and pensions and India's USD 71 billion defence budget has to spend 54 per cent on pay and pensions. India cannot afford this high allocation. I leave our economic state to your discretion. He asked for the specific anomalies to be sent to him. Now I would like the environment to know that the Secy ESW or CGDA has not even responded to the anomalies raised by Service Hq, can we expect anything? Anyway since we were told to bring these to his notice we will do so. Further, the govt view is that the Hon' SC has ruled "there is no infirmity in the OROP policy". Hence accept it. Much that many would not like, the case taken up by Maj Gen Satbir Singh and IESM not only delayed the 01 Jul 2019 equalisation by nearly four years, the SC ruling has given the govt a handle to deny every action of ours. All I can say is that we will play according to the rules laid by the Govt. We will begin our action next week sending them case-by-case anomalies.

ONE MAN JUDICIAL COMMITTEE: There is general silence when we raise this issue. I think this report is not to the liking of the govt. It would have demolished govt views on many OROP issues. Maybe even the SC would have had to take into consideration the report in it's judgement. I think one way out is to request Justice L Narasimha Reddy to make the report public. If not seek court intervention. No other way.

SPARSH We were told that 90 per cent of the pensioners have been switched over to SPARSH. 23 lakh out of 26 lakh. There is a mismatch in data of 3 lakh pensioners. Wonder what level of computerisation of bank accounts and pension accounts has been achieved that there is a problem of 3 lakh pensioners. I conveyed that ESM was happy to move out of control of the DPDO system, no matter how rotten it was. And now a good working system has been given in the hands of the govt again. Now we have to live and die with it.

ECHS: Our contention is that there should be no shortfall in medicines. The Secy conveyed this is being resolved and EPharmacy will be contracted for direct delivery of medicines. Regarding pending hospital bills, the reason given is the corrupt actions of some hospitals. I wonder how has corruption entered a govt managed and controlled system of ECHS-empanelled hospitals when the govt claims there is zero corruption?

ENHANCED PENSION AT OLD AGE: The Secy was informed of the recent AFT ruling that pension be enhanced on completion of 79 years and not go into appeal. Let's see what the govt does.

WIDOW PENSION: This point was brought to the notice of the Secy. Widows need greater financial security but on the contrary, their pension is reduced to 60 per cent. He said this is a Pay Commission issue. We'll have to wait till 2026.

PROPOSAL FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP FOR VETERANS: Dear Veterans, this is an important issue which can help us in enhancing the incomes of ESM. I raised the proposal of Veterans forming a corporate and setting up Solar Parks in military stations. Power to be supplied to the military establishment directly. Win-win for all. Help in the worldwide initiative to tackle global warming, assist our PM's goal of more participation in reducing dependence on fossil fuels, cheaper power for our armed forces reducing their costs by up to 25 per cent, put to use vacant military lands and finally financial benefits to ESM. In all this justification I've seen that the stumbling block is why should land be given to Veterans. I didn't expect our senior hierarchy, in the Service Hq and the IAS to stop their thinking just because this suggestion is thought-provoking and never raised earlier. Do we want to take over mil land in any way? Can we physically take away this land? On the other hand, we will do something that has never been thought of earlier. We will put the money of ESM shareholders into a pilot project. One megawatt will cost us about Rs 4.50 crore. The power will be supplied to the military grid and not sold to anyone else. Solar panel power generation has a life of 25 years. In return, ESM shareholders will get about 12 per cent return, or even better. More than what banks give. 50,000 retire every year taking home anywhere from Rs 35 lakh to one crore. Even at an average of Rs one lakh, we can raise Rs 500 crore and help retirees get better income. Will convince them that don't depend on govt benevolence. Do well for yourself. All that we want from the govt is permission to do this as a captive project for the ESM. As I've said in my letter, the govt has given Rs 1.97 lakh crore PLI benefit to 14 industries. Another Rs 26,000 crores for green hydrogen projects have been earmarked. Some for mobile phone manufacturers. Rs 10,000 crore given for FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles). There was fraud in this also. Rs 25,938 crore to auto companies. This when we know there is a waiting period of 6 months to nearly 2 years for most models which are in the higher price range. Plus govt helps the industry in getting land. Against this what are we asking? Putting our money for multipurpose benefits.

In this context, I'd like to share my discussion with the Secy in one such industry, Textile. Mr VK Singh was Secy Textiles earlier and the govt proposed setting up six, if I remember, Textile Parks across the country. One such park was proposed at Mattewara near Ludhiana, on the banks of R Sutlej. 1,000 acres of govt land, part forest and the rest Panchayat land with wildlife also in the area. I didn't hesitate to tell him that a Ludhiana-based citizens movement, led by veteran colleagues of mine, of which I'm also a part actively opposed this purely on environmental grounds. The Punjab govt had to bow against the mass movement and the project was scrapped. Now obviously this was not easily accepted by the Govt and the Textile industry. I would like to question the govt, so many ways and means of helping a few rich industrialists but find no logic when we want a large number of ESM to seek a better income in a path-breaking initiative.

I also requested that coal transportation and CHT initiatives as suggested be accepted.

I know that this post is rather long, but I wanted to convey all that I can to the environment. I request this be forwarded to max ESM groups and individuals.

My next plan is to seek a meeting with the Hon' Raksha Mantri in June itself.

Jai Hind