The concern of former defence personnel is justifiable and government must pay due attention

Some of the recent proposals pertaining to the service conditions of serving soldiers and officers are being seen as part of a systematic degradation of the status of defence forces which is causing serious concern among former defence officers.

The latest in the series of such steps is the proposal to reduce pension and the new retirement policy proposed by the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), headed by Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat.

The note, dated October 29, seeks government sanction for changes in retirement profile and pension entitlements of officer and soldiers of the army and their equivalent ranks in Air Force and the Navy.

Officers can currently seek premature retirement after 20 years of service which makes them entitled to a pension equal to 50 per cent of the last drawn salary.

According to the new changes proposed, those taking premature retirement with 20-25 years of service will now be entitled to only 50 per cent of the current entitlement of pension.

This would mean that an officer who currently gets Rs 1 lakh as salary right now, and gets a pension of Rs 50,000, would get a pension of Rs 25,000 if he has served for only 20-25 years under the proposed rules.

Those with 26-30 years of service will get 60 per cent of the current pension and those with 31-35 years of service will get 75 per cent of the pension they are entitled to now. Only those with above 35 years of service will get full pension if they take premature retirement, according to the proposed changes.

Retired officers as well as those serving feel that if the proposal is accepted, it would lead to resentment among the serving officers and discourage those aspiring to join the defence courses.

However, government sources say the move is aimed at cutting down the huge pension bill that has burgeoned after the implementation of the One Rank One Pension scheme.

These sources say the government expenditure in defence pensions has zoomed up by about four times after the implementation of the scheme for which the retired officers and soldiers had been agitating for long.

Economic experts say that the huge expenditure on defence pensions is currently even more than the provision for acquiring new defence equipment.

Government’s justification on the proposed steps is that it wants to discourage premature retirement which leads to loss of skilled defence personnel. There is also a proposal to increase the retirement age of officers and other ranks.

Former defence officers, who are leading a campaign against the proposed rules, say that it was wrong to cut into pension and other perks due to the government’s mismanagement of the country’s economy. They say such a step would demoralise through forces particularly when the country is facing threat from China and Pakistan.

While the proposal to downgrade the pension is latest of moves to irk retired officers, they point out a systematic downgrade of status and other perks for defence services over the past few years.

This includes the downgrading of the status in government protocol as compared to other posts. It also includes reduction in the entitlement of rations and even on purchases through other defence canteens.

For instances, there are restrictions on the sale of imported scotch in the canteens and also restriction on the value of cars which can be purchased by officers retiring at different ranks. There is also resentment over directions to file FIR against officers engaged in anti terrorist operations and the progressive slashing of defence budget.

The Department of Military Affairs has also recently proposed stringent measures pertaining to disability pension and imposition of Income Tax on their pension.

Significantly, the former officers place a major share of blame on one of their own – Gen Bipin Rawat who was made the army chief after superseding three senior officers and then was made the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff.

While the concern of former defence personnel is justifiable and the government must pay due attention, there is also an environment in which half truths and misinformation has been spread by some of the retired officers and their family members.

For instance wife of a former officer, who was also a leading television anchor, has been saying that the new pension rules would be applicable for both officers and other ranks. The fact is that the jawans would not be affected by these proposed rules.

Another such lady has been quoting a recent CAG report tabled in Parliament regarding the lack of supplies, including basic clothing for the jawans in forward areas, the fact is that the report does not refer to the current period but pertains to the situation three or four years ago. Such half truths damage the credibility of even the genuine grievances of the former officers.