Cruel joke on defence pensioners

THE much publicised revision of defence pensioners’ pension is nothing but eyewash. The defence pensioners have been fooled through jugglery of words. A perusal of table 72 to 77 of the Government of India, Ministry of Defence Order No. 1(27/98/D/Pens/Sers) dated July 14, 1998, reveals that no Honorary Commissioned Officer is going to benefit from the revised pension of pre-1986 pensioners because the condition of 10 months service as Honorary Commissioned Officer has been imposed. This unusual and unheard of condition was never applied before and has been imposed only for pre-1986 pensioners.

Honorary Commission is granted to the selected Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) in recognition of their meritorious and unblemished long service in difficult conditions. The JCOs get this commission just a few days before their retirement on January 26 and August 15, and most of them retire within a few days after getting the award of Honorary Commission. At present, most of the JCOs who got Honorary Commission on January 26 and retired after six days with effect from February 1 are getting full benefits. But with the imposition of 10 months service condition as Honorary Commissioned Officer the pre-1986 pensioners have been denied this benefit. A JCO who got Honorary Commission on January 26, 1985, and retired with effect from July 1, 1985, would not get the benefit even after completing five months and six days service as Honorary Commissioned Officer while on the other hand a JCO granted Honorary Commission with effect from January 26, 1986 and retired with effect from February 1, 1986, after having only six days service as Honorary Commissioned Officer is getting full benefits.

I do not know whether the government has done it deliberately to humiliate the Honorary Commissioned Officer or it is the brainchild of bureaucracy who is more sincere than the king! Out of millions of defence pensioners, the number of living Honorary Commissioned Officers is so little that it can be counted on fingertips. One wonders as to how much money the government is going to save by denying the pre-1986 pensioners their dues? It is interesting to note that this lot of pensioners is the one who participated in all the four wars which the Indian Army fought after Independence. This is the reward which the pre-1986 pensioners are getting now!

Not only Honorary Commissioned Officers, but others too who retired before January 1, 1986, would not get anything. First January, 1986, is the date from which the Fourth Pay Commission is applicable. At present pre-1986 pensioners are getting pension almost based on the Third Pay Commission and it was expected that the government would give these pensioners at least the benefit of the Fourth Pay Commission if not the benefit of the Fifth Pay Commission, which is applicable from January 1, 1996. But certain conditions imposed by the government have nullified the benefits. If the government is so much starved of funds, it should have flatly rejected the demand for the revision of the pension of pre-1986 pensioners instead of playing such a dirty trick. I feel sorry to see the government of a great nation, India, in such a pathetic and pitiable condition!

ARJUN SINGH CHHETRI
Manjoo (Arki)

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MNCs’ designs

This is with reference to the news item, “MNCs-Yes or No” in Business Tribune, (Nov 28). Dr Johal’s stress on the MNCs’ entry appears to be the result of his pessimism about indigenous resource generation. The role of MNCs/IMF/World Bank can be very well compared to the ageold money lender in our villages who gives money on security of some article, the value of which is more than the amount given. If the borrower defaults then the security given is forfeited. Conditions put forward by the above mentioned institutions are framed in their own favour. Further, their entry may yield short term gain but will be detrimental to our economy in the long run. The Mexican crisis and the dwindling economy of the Asian Tigers are examples of ruthless behaviour of the MNCs. No wonder the great intellectual of Massachussets Technical Institute, Prof Noam Chomsky, has warned us about the fancy terms of globalisation on which serves the interest of the transational corporations

What the country like ours needs is South-South cooperation and trade relations based on mutual trust and equality. But the recent blacklisting of the Indian corporations by the USA has belied all the hopes and raised curtain from its real intentions about forming the World Trade Organisation.

ARUN MITRA and VIVEK CHAUDHARY
Ludhiana

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Daler’s programme

It is very disheartening to know that the programme of distinguished Punjabi pop singer Daler Mehndi could not be held, in spite of his best efforts (Dec 6). The ostensible reason was that the police officials had obviously refused to provide security for the programme. If the police officials could not have provided him security, then they should have told him in advance or postponed the programme, to avoid disappointment for him as well as the public. If there was a shortage of police personnel, they could have called them from neighbouring states like Haryana, and Union Territory Chandigarh, as is done during elections.

Many people that had bought tickets for the programme were given reimbursement but had to face a lot of inconvenience.

In the news item it was stated that the SAS Nagar Municipal Committee had impounded Daler’s two trucks, carrying his music system. He was asked to pay an octroi of Rs 1.37 lakh. It was the most shabby behaviour by the Municipal Committee. A world famous artist, should not be treated like that.

I, one of his fan request the Administration of Punjab, to call him again and hold the programme.

SUNIL KAPOOR
Yamunanagar