Sqn. Ldr. SP Bains (Retd.

) Vice President (Co-Ord)

All India Defence Brotherhood, 3183, Sector 71, Mohali-160071. 27th June, 2011.

AIDB/05/2010/Pension Tel - 0172 2224082 (M) 9357222281. Dr. Man Mohan Singh , Hon ble Prime Minister, 7, Race Course, New Delhi. Subject: Respected Sir, 1. Most respectfully, may I state that I have been approaching your honor since August 2008 on behalf of the aggrieved veteran Majors and equivalents in Navy and Air Force for justice. Sadly no action has been taken so far. Therefore I once again take the opportunity to approach your good self. 2. The following details are proof of very glaring injustice: a) As per 5th Pay Commission, the basic pension of one rank senior Selection Grade Lt Colonel was 7550/- and Time Scale Lt Colonel was Rs. 7350/-. The basic pension of Majors was Rs. 6400/- pm. Thus the difference was only Rs. 1150/-and Rs. 950/respectively. As per 6th Pay Commission, basic pension of both categories of Lt. Colonels is fixed at Rs. 25700/-. Majors` pension is fixed at Rs. 14100/-due to wrong application of Sixth CPC recommendations . As a result, the gap in their basic pension has gone up by more than 10 times from 1150/- to Rs.11600/-p.m. Such a big gap in pensions of two adjacent ranks of commissioned officers was never seen in the history of Armed Forces. All other Commissioned Officers got nearly RS. 5 Lakhs pension arrears for 34 months whereas Majors got Rs. 75 85,000/- only. It is clear that Majors are given raw deal. The new basic pension of JCOs (Honorary Captains) is fixed at Rs. 16145/- and of Majors at Rs.14100/- p.m. w.e.f. 1-1-2006. It is officially unjustified and very painful that those who were commanded by Majors are getting more pension. It is shocking that our Services Headquarters are keeping quiet on such a big anomaly. Appeal for justice for Veteran Majors and Equivalents in Navy & Air Force.

b)

c)

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3. The above facts were placed before Secretary for ESM Welfare in MOD by the undersigned and 84 year old Major SS Dhillon during official meeting on 26`th March 2010. She stood convinced about the glaring injustice and assured to strongly pursue the case to bridge the wide gap in 6 to 8 weeks time. But nothing has been heard till date despite in-ordinate delay of more than one year. 4. Therefore you are humbly requested to provide justice to the most adversely affected retired Majors and their equivalents in Army, Navy and Air Force who performed greater administrative, training and combat duties during War and Peace. It is substantiated by the fact that maximum number of Param Vir Chakra (PVC) awardees are from Major rank officers. Now, when they are in 70 and 80 years of age, they feel severely disappointed due to great injustice meted out to them. They fear that they will not get their dues in their lifetime because of the insensitive attitude of the authorities. 5. The concerned officials of Pension/Policy wing of MOD seem to have intentionally remained unmoved to implement the verdict of the Armed Forces Tribunal of 14-9-2010 (Copy attached) and undermined the Judicial decision. The Tribunal has cleared that the minimum pay in pay band-3 for Major rank officers is Rs. 23810/-and not Rs. 15600/- plus GP and MSP for fixing pensions of Majors. Hence we pray to your good self to intervene to resolve this long pending issue based on the principle of Natural Justice and Fair Play. It may please be delinked from complex issue of One Rank One Pension. With best Regards, Yours sincerely,

Copy to:Mr. Pranab Mukerjee, Hon`ble Finance Minister, North Block, New Delhi -110011. Mr. AK Antony, Hon ble Defence Minister, South Block, New Delhi -110011. Mr. MM Pallam Raju, Hon`ble Rajya Raksha Mantri, New Delhi - 110011. Gen. VK Singh, Hon`ble Chief of Army Staff, Army HQ, South Block, New Delhi - 110011.

O.A. No. 270/2010 Sq. Ldr. Vinod Kumar Jain & Others vs. Union of India & Ors. 1

IN THE ARMED FORCES TRIBUNAL, PRINCIPAL BENCH AT NEW DELHI O.A. No. 270/2010 With O.A. No. 24/2010 Sq. Ldr. Vinod Kumar Jain & Others .........Applicant Versus Union of India & Others .......Respondents [With Lt. Cdr. Avtar Singh & Ors. Vs. Union of India & Ors.] For applicant: Cmde (Retd.) Sukhjinder Singh, Advocate. For respondents: Ms. Jyoti Singh, Advocate. CORAM: HONBLE MR. JUSTICE A.K. MATHUR, CHAIRPERSON. HONBLE LT. GEN. M.L. NAIDU, MEMBER. ORDER 14.09.2010 1. Both the cases involve identical question of law one from the Navy and other from the Air Force, therefore, they are disposed by the common order. 2. In the case of Sqn. Ldr. Vinod Kumar Jain, this petition has been filed by Sq. Ldr. Vinod Kumar Jain along with other applicants having equivalent ranks i.e. Major from the Army and O.A. No. 270/2010 Sq. Ldr. Vinod Kumar Jain & Others vs. Union of
India & Ors.

some of the Lt. Commanders from the Navy who have since retired. In the case of Lt. Cdr. Avtar Singh, a joint petition has been filed by all the retired Lt. Commanders of the Navy. Both these petitions are espousing the case of officers of equivalent ranks from all three Forces i.e. Army, Air Force and Navy i.e. Majors in the Indian Army, Sqn. Leaders from Air Force and Lt. Commanders from Navy. The grievance in both the petitions is with regard of pension. The Sixth Pay Commission came into force w.e.f. 01.01.2006 and in implementation of that Ministry of Defence has passed various orders from time to time. The issue before us is limited one that how the persons of these rank and other equivalent rank in the other forces should be fixed in the Sixth Pay Commission. Joint grievance of all the petitioners is that their fixation has not been done in accordance with the recommendation of the Sixth Pay Commission and the implementation order issued by the Ministry of Defence from time to time. It has been prayed that the letter issued by the Ministry of Defence dated 03rd October, 2008 and Government of India s letter dated 11th November, 2008 may be quashed to the extent of methodology on fixation of pension of pre 2006 retirees and has further sought a relief that respondents may be directed to amend para 4.2 of OM dated 01.09.2008 as per its wording reproduced in OM dated 03rd October, 2008 and direct the respondents for fixation of pension in terms of the judgment given in the case of Union of India SPS Vains 2008 (12) SCALE 360. 3. The first order in sequence of is dated 01.09.2008 by which the Ministry of Defence has implemented the Government decision on the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission and the revision of the pension of the pre 2006 pensioners and family pensioners etc. which reads as under :-

F. No. 38/37/08-P&PW (A) Government of India Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare Lok Nayak Bhawan, New Delhi Dated the 01st September, 2008 OFFICE MEMORANDUM Sub: Implementation of Government s decision on the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission Revision of penson of pre-2006 pensioners/family pensioners etc. 1. The undersigned is directed to say that in pursuance of Government s decision on the recommendations of Sixth Central Pay Commission, sanction of the President is hereby accorded to the regulation, with effect from 1.1.2006, of pension/family pension of all the pre-2006 pensioners/family pensioners in the manner indicated in the succeeding paragraphs. Separate orders will be issued in respect of employees who retired/died on or after 1.1.2006. 2.1 These orders apply to all pensioners/family pensioners who were drawing pension/family pension on 1.1.2006 under the Central Civil Services (Pension) rules, 1972, CCS (Extraordinary Pension) rules and the corresponding rules applicable to Railway pensioners and pensioners of All India Services, including officers of the Indian Civil Service retired from service on or after 1.1.1973. 2.2 Separate orders will be issued by the Ministry of Defence in regard to Armed Forces pensioners/family pensioners. 2.3 These orders do not also apply to retired High Court and Supreme Court Judges and other Constitutional/Statutory Authorities whose pension etc. is governed by separate rules/orders. 3.1 In these orders: a. Existing pensioner or Existing Family pensioner means a pensioner who was drawing/entitled to pension/family pension on 31.12.2005.

b. Existing pension means the basic pension inclusive of commuted portion, if any, due on 31.12.2005. It covers all classes of pension under the CCS (Pension) rules, 1972 as also Disability Pension under the CCS (Extraordinary Pension) Rules and the corresponding rules applicable to Railway employees and Members of All India Services. c. Existing family pension means the basic family pension drawn on 31.122.005 under the CCS (Pension) Rules and the corresponding rules applicable to Railway employees and the Members of All India Services. 4.1 The pension/family pension of existing pre-2006 pensioners/family pensioners will be consolidated with effect from 1.1.2006 by adding together:i. The existing pension/family pension. ii. Dearness Pension, where applicable iii. Dearness Relief upto AICPI (IW) average index 536 (Base year 1982=100) I.E. @ 24% OF Basic Pension/Basic family pension plus dearness pension as admissible vide this Department s O.M. No.42/2/2006-P&PW (G) dated 5.4.2006. iv. Fitment weightage @ 40% of the existing pension/family pension. Where the existing pension in (i) above includes the effect of merger of 50% of dearness relief w.e.f. 1.4.2004, the existing pension for the purpose of fitment weightage will be re-calculated after excluding the merged dearness relief of 50% from the pension. The amount so arrived at will be regarded as consolidated pension/family pension with effect from 1.1.2006. 4.2 The fixation of pension will be subject to the provision that the revised pension, in no case, shall be lower than fifty percent of the minimum of the play in the pay band plus the grade pay corresponding to the pre-revised pay scale from which the pensioner had retired. In the case of HAG+ and above scale, this will be fifty percent of the minimum of the revised pay scale. 4.3 Since the consolidate pension will be inclusive of commuted portion of pension, if any, the commuted portion will be deducted from the said amount while making monthly disbursements.

4.4 The upper ceiling on pension/family pension laid down in the Department of Pension and Pensioner s Welfare Office Memorandum No. 45/86/97-P&PW (A) (Part-I) dated 27.10.1997 has been increased from Rs.15000/- and Rs.9000 to 50% and 30% respectively of the highest pay in the Government (the highest pay in the Government is Rs.90,000 since 1.1.2006) Additional quantum of 4.5 The quantum of pension pension/family pension available to the old pensioners/family pensioners shall be increased as follows:Age of pensioner/family pensioner From 80 years to less than 85 20% of revised basic