NON-REVISION OF SPECIAL FAMILY PENSION - 6TH CPC

6^th CPC RECOMMENDATIONS - REVISION OF SPECIAL FAMILY PENSION, DEPENDANT PENSION, DEPENDENT PENSION (LIBERALISED), LIBERALISED FAMILY PENSION

The 6^th CPC had not recommended any specific rates of pension to the above category of family pensioners. The MOD also does not mention any thing about the revised rates of pension to be paid to the above pensioners.

2. The Government accepted the following rates of pension w.e.f. 1.1.96 to the above category of pensioners:-

i) Special Family Pension shall not be less than 60% of the minimum pay in the revised scale of pay introduced w.e.f 1.1.96 of the rank (in case of commissioned officers) rank and group (in the case of PBOR) held with a minimum of Rs.2,550/- PM.

ii) Dependent pension fixed as 50% of the Special Family Pension.

                          बाकी का पढ़ने के लिए नीचे क्लिक करें 

iii) Liberalised Dependent Pension fixed as 75% of the pay introduced w.e.f. 1.1.96 if both the parents are alive.

Liberalised Dep. Pension fixed as 60% of the scale of pay introduced w.e.f. 1.1.96 if only single parent is alive.

iv) Liberalised family pension fixed as 100% of the scale of pay introduced w.e.f. 1.1.96.

3/ In the absence of any specific recommendations by the 6^th CPC on the above subject, the MOD should have given some guidelines based on the above existing provisions, linking the revision with the revised scale of pay w.e.f. 1.1.2006. Separate tables should have been prepared for the above category of pensioners instead of following the Annexure I which is the most disadvantageous one in these cases. The MOD and PCDA(P) Allahabad still maintaining silence in this regard.

4. Unfortunately the apex bodies of ex servicemen welfare organizations like the Indian Ex services League and the Air Force Association had failed to study this issue line by line and counter it with the MOD for immediate clarification and issue of separate tables for these category of pensioners. If the MOD and the PCDA(P) Allahabad continue issuing circulars in this way without any active participation/interaction with these apex bodies of all India exsm. Organizations, the very purpose of the existence of these organizations will be lost. The decision of the MOD will be final even if happens to be totally against the interest of the 20 lacs exsm. The unilateral rejection by the government to our request to include a Defence representative in the 6^th CPC is mainly due to non existence of one strong allIndia organization for representing our cause.

5. This is the first time an All India organization named IESM strongly protesting and conducting a relay hunger strike for more than 90 days in the capital. This is the right time that all the ex servicemen association all overIndia should join hands with IESM and fight for justice.

6. The Chairman of the IESM should meet the MOD officials at least once in a month regularly and discuss all the grievances pooled to him by the small associations. The MOD normally addresses all the letters regarding defence pension to the Three Service Chiefs. Is the Service Chiefs are responsible for the implementation of these pension orders ? I don’t think so. Then why are these letters are addressed to them ? It may be for their information, but the Secretariats of these service chief’s do not even forward these letters down to some of the beneficiary organizations such as the IESL, AFA or IESM. The IESM no doubt had gained greater awareness among many veterans throughout India. Although the response from the PBORs appears to be poor, but it can be overcome by sustained campaign through meetings with frequent intervals. All the PBORs are not computer literate to follow all the instructions coming out from IESM core group, through ‘blogs’ and e-mail.But it is going to have tremendous impact on the future of the Indian Veterans. The efforts taken by the present leaders of IESM will definitely achieve the goals. The activities of the IESM should be largely focussed to the day to day problems faced by the PBORs and their families. A separate Wing is to be set up to look after the Pension Grievances and immediate rederssal for PBORs and Defence Family Pensioners. While we are reaching 90^th day of relay fast at Jantar Mantar for One Rank One Pension, there are thousands and thousands of our Defence Pensioners & Family Pensioners still have not received the correct amount of 6^th CPC arrears. Their pensions have not been revised correctly. The Banks are not at bothered to correct their mistakes. Since most of the Banks have centralized the pension payment system, the remote branches does not entertain any queries on pension instead they ask us to write to their Central Pension Processing Cells, which are normally situated at State Capitals or the Banks regional head offices.

7. The Defence Pension Policy letters issued by the MOD are like a foundation for any building. Whatever the benefits to be showered upon the pensioners should be available in one single clear order on one date even it can be in the form of a book for that matter. Referring to various orders of different dates and linking with the present order leads to lot of confusion.Any ordinary pensioner will not have access to all the orders referred therein as a result, the purpose of the very order itself is defeated and raises more and more confusion leading to cause mental agony and unrest in the minds of the pensioners. The present grievances mechanisms for the pensioners are mere eye wash. None of the bank authorities seems to have understood the MOD and PCDA(P) orders on revision of pension for defence pensioners.Anomalies are piling up. Even the apex bodies of various ex servicemen welfare associations accept that the PBOR pension issue is a complex one.Who is responsible for all these state of affairs ? and what is the solution ?

8. The Department of Ex servicemen Welfare at New Delhi, the PCDA(P)Allahabad and all the PDAs, and Treasuries will be held accountable for the accuracy of the Defence pension payment. Any deviation from the instructions on revision of pension, non-implementation of various government orders, non-payment of correct rate of pension etc., will have to be sought from the above authorities through the Right to Information Act and initiate suitable action. There is no meaning in telling that the PBOR pension issue is a complex one without taking any effective steps to simplify the issue and make it more meaningful.

9. Due to the advancement of information technology, all the Banks have started centralizing the pension payment from one centre without preparing proper data base of the defence pensioners. The largest bank SBI dealing with maximum defence pensioners, recently centralized all the pension payments region wise. (Local Head Office wise) under the administrative control of Chief Manager, with few junior management grade officers and few data entry operators (Bank’s regular clerical staff), who know nothing about the defence pension. The data input format has been designed by personnel who have no knowledge about the defence pension and without giving any provisions for the future needs. This has resulted in lot of complaints against the Central Pension Processing Centres under each Local Head Office throughout India. Daily 50 to 100 defence pensioners visit this office at Chennai and go back without getting any proper reply. Different banks have made different set of input formats and centralized this pension payment for their own convenience. Similarly, they have developed different software by outsourcing to different agencies. Unless a correct data base with uniform format for all the banks is created, the problem is not going to be solved. The MOD should take initiative in this matter.

10. The Indian Overseas Bank, through out sourcing had developed a data base named PENMIC (Pension Master Index Card). The filling up of this card involves lot of patience and knowledge about defence personnel. But once the PENMIC is correctly filled up and prepared for all the pensioners, then things will move smoothly. But most of the IOB branches could not complete the PENMIC format correctly. This has resulted in wrong calculation of the 6^th CPC arrears. Likewise, every bank has got their own style of functioning.

11. I have come across some learned Colonels, having put up 33 years of service in Army Records Branch, were made to run pillar to post to get their pension revised from Rs.19,323 of Annexure I to Rs.26,050 of Annexure II.With some influence with the bankers, they got settled their first installment arrears amounting to Rs.1,31,750/- and got their pension revised to Rs.26,050/-. When this writer requested them to take up the issue as a common problem and bring it to the notice of IESM for a total solution for all, but these senior officers got it done individually with their banks. Now imagine the plight of PBORs (Hon. Lt. and Hon. Capt.)who are completely ignorant of these, even though it is similar to the cases of these Colonels. All these PBORs cannot go to the banks individually. This is where the all Indiaorganization like the IESM should jump in to action against the banks. I will explain here one method as to how we can pressurize the Banks and the CDA(P) to make sure that all the defence pensioners are paid their correct amount of 40% arrears and their pension is revised correctly.

12. At present neither all the banks nor all the individual defence pensioners are aware of their correct revised pension and arrears. The banks have by, out sourcing paid some amount to some pensioners, which the banks themselves are unable to explain now. The Govt. of India, MOD and the Finance Div. of the MOD are doubly sure that the expenditure on account of disbursement of pay commission arrears to defence pension will never reach near to the budgeted amount and in no case the estimated amount will be declared insufficient. The orders are drafted in such a way that any benefit of doubt will never allowed to be flowed to the pensioners. There are reports from Auditors that the 5^th CPC arrears still not paid to many defence pensioners.

13. In order to fix accountability and accuracy in the pension payment, the organizations like IESM should take the help of the Right To Information Act and get the full details of pension payment from the banks and CDA(P). As per MOD letter Dt.11.11.08 every pension disbursing agency should submit Annexure IV to the PCDA(P) Allahabad in respect of each pensioner who have been paid revised pension and arrears. If we ask a copy of the Annexure IV through RTI in respect of each defence pensioner we will know the total position of the defence pension disbursement. Our further action can be planned based on the report/reply from CDA(P) Allahabad.

14. So far I have narrated certain general observations on Defence pension policy/plan and disbursement. In my previous e-mail dt.20/2/09 I have prepared tables for minimum ordinary family pension for all ranks and groups and got it published in the ‘Report my signal’ blog and ‘indianexserviceman.blogspot.com blogs.

15. Now I have prepared some tables showing the amount of revised special family pension payable to all eligible pensioners of PBORs which the MOD had not done so far. I request Maj.Navdeep Singh Sir and Col.James Kanagaraj Sir to kindly verify and help to publish for the benefit of the pensioners.

TABLE SHOWING THE AMOUNT OF REDUCTION IN THE ARREARS OF 6^TH CPC TO THE SPL. FAMILY PENSIONERS AS A RESULT OF NON-ISSUANCE OF SUITABLE TABLES/CHARTS TO THE SPECIAL FAMILY PENSIONERS.

For the purpose of highlighting certain deficiencies in the MOD letter dt.11.11.08 only PBOR cases are explained here. The position is the same in respect of officers families and of the other types of pensions like dependent pension, dependent pension (liberalized) and liberalized family pension.

Rank	Existing SFP	Revised pension should have been fixed by MOD but not done	Revised pension as per Annexure I paid	Per month reduction in Basic Pension	Total reduction in the arrears for 32 months ___________________ 40% 60%
Sepoy	2550	7000	5763	1237	16853	25280
Naik	2550	7000	5763	1237	16853	25280
Hav	2550	7000	5763	1237	16853	25280
NB SUB
Gp. ‘A’	3120	10140	7052	3088	42071	63106
Gp. ‘B’	2880	9300	6509	2791	38024	57037
Gp. ‘C’	2790	9300	6306	2994	40790	61185
Gp D to G	2790	9300	6306	2994	40790	61185
Gp E to H	2640	9300	5967	3333	45400	68113
SUBEDAR
Gp ‘A’	3702	10380	8367	2013	27425	41137
Gp ‘B’	3462	9540	7825	1715	23365	35048
Gp ‘C’	3372	9540	7621	1919	26145	39217
Gp D to G	3372	9540	7621	1919	26145	39217
Gp E & H	3237	9540	7317	2223	30286	45429
SUB MAJ
Gp ‘A’	4350	10500	9831	669	9114	13672
Gp ‘B’	4050	9660	9153	507	6908	10361
Gp ‘C’	4050	9660	9153	507	6908	10361
Gp D to G	4050	9660	9153	507	6908	10361
Gp E to H	3960	9660	8950	710	9673	14510
HONY LT	6300	16200	14238	1962	26730	40095
HONY CAPT	6510	16620	14713	1907	25981	38972

Note: If the MOD accepts this chart, other charts in respect of officers’ families and other categories of pension will be released. It is requested that the IESM Chairman take up this issue with the MOD immediately and arrange for disbursement of correct revised pension. This chart if approved, may be sent to IESL and AFA for their circulation. Revised arrears should be arranged for payment to these widows at the earliest.

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