Modi Govt is hurting the morale of our Army Officers by snatching away their pension
Habitual of seeking votes on the sacrifice of our brave soldiers and on fake Nationalism, Modi Govt has become the first regime in history to ‘Steal the Pension’ and alternate career choice after ‘Active Service’ of those officers who protect our motherland. A letter circulated by the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) in the office of the CDS [Annexure A1] has sought suggestions for the same.
This Diwali, PM Modi exhorted the nation to light a diya for our soldiers but has ensured darkness in their lives by attempting to reduce their pension by half.
This is BJP’s Fake Nationalism!
1. At the time of recruitment in the Army i.e. ‘Military Commission’, every officer in the ‘Indian Military Academy’ has to compulsorily sign a 20-year mandatory service bond. An officer after 20years of rigorous service presently gets 50% of their last drawn salary as pension, but Modi Govt’s new proposal is snatching away 50% of that.[Annexure A1] For instance, if an officer gets Rs 1 lakh as their last drawn salary. Presently he will get Rs 50,000 as pension. But BJP’s new proposal shall only give the officer Rs 25,000 ! Only an Anti-army Modi Govt can indulge in such ruthless brazenness to deduct half the pension of the officers serving the country and insult their valour and sacrifice.
2. On an average 65% of the 100 army officers admitted to the Army are confined to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Only 35% of officers can aspire to reach to the position of Colonel or above. h a situation, after serving for 20 years, those military officers find a second career option in life with full pension and effectively contribute to nation building. Thereby, the Indian Army always remains young, which in the military language is called ‘Lean & Mean Fighting Force’. If the Modi Govt’s devious proposal comes into force, then 65% of military officers will forever lose their second career option and their creative support in nation-building in civilian areas outside the military.
3. According to Modi Govt’s new proposal only those officers who have spent more than 35 years in the Armed Forces service shall be entitled to a ‘Full Pension. But reality is 90% of the Army officers retire before 35 years of service. In such a situation, the Modi Govt is hatching a conspiracy to deny 90% of Army officers their full pension.
4. The terms of service of military officers also cannot be modified with ‘Back Date’. When 20 years of compulsory service and full pension after 20 years has been prescribed for retirement, then how can the Modi Govt revise all those conditions of service? This will only lower the morale of our Armed Forces.
5. There is already a shortage of 9,427 officers in all the three Armed services of India. The figures available for June 2019 show that there are 7,399 less officers in the Army, 1,545 are wanting in the Navy and 483 less in the Air Force. Modi Govt’s agenda-driven proposal which breaks the morale of the Indian Army shall reduce make our Armed Forces less attractive for our youth to join in and ultimately the country will suffer loss.
Modi Govt is a habitual offender in insulting the Armed Forces by ‘back door’ cuts in spending.
➢ Modi Govt did not implement ‘One Rank, One Pension’(OROP)
➢ Modi Govt withdrew the much deserved ‘Non Functional Utility’ (NFU) benefits, a scheme brought by the Congress-UPA in 2008 to ensure automatic time bound pay promotion.
➢ Modi Govt imposed monthly limits on the quantity of items that can be purchased by individuals from Canteen Stores Department (CSD) outlets, that caters to serving and retired personnel. It took four years and a court case to reverse the order.
➢ Modi Govt delayed the procurement of winter gear, shoes, bullet proof jackets for our Jawans posted in Siachen and Ladakh. (CAG observation).
➢ Modi Govt threw open Cantonments to Civilians.
➢ Modi Govt decided to tax Armed Forces personnel who get ‘disability pension’ on ‘account of injuries suffered in the course of service’ at the time of their superannuation or premature retirement.
➢ Modi Govt withdraw the medical benefits/pensions to our Jawans who have valiantly served the Nation under Short Service Commission.
➢ Modi Govt even shelved a special regiment called ‘Mountain Strike Corps’ along the China border with 70,000 additional soldiers, citing lack of money.
And now, Modi Govt’s fresh attack on the Indian Army has exposed the anti-Army face of the Fake Nationalists!