One Rank One Pension for ex-servicemen

One Rank One Pension for ex-servicemen

The Parliamentary Standing committee on Defence has urged the government to reconsider the demand of “One Rank One Pension” for the ex-servicemen.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence (15th LOK SABHA) on 1st and 7th Reports reiterated that the Government should consider the issue of ‘One Rank One Pension’ afresh. Since the issue of One Rank One Pension was not accepted in the past and more recently the Cabinet Secretary’s Committee set up to consider it also did not recommend the same, it has not been found feasible to accept the demand of One Rank One Pension.

In the case of Original Application No. 15 and 45/2010 the Armed Forces Tribunal, Chandigarh had passed the order dated 3.3.2010 with directions to the respondents to take final decision in the matter.

The said order was examined and speaking orders explaining the position were issued on 10.07.2010 to the petitioners.

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Shri MM Pallam Raju in a written reply to Shri Vilas Muttemwar and others in Lok Sabha today.

Govt implementing One-Rank One-Pension for ex-servicemen

Govt implementing One-Rank One-Pension for ex-servicemen

Appealing to ex-servicemen not to take the extreme step of returning their gallantry awards, government today said it has started implementing recommendations of the high level panel on One-Rank One-Pension.

However, Defence Minister A K Antony said in the Rajya Sabha that implementing the award in one go was difficult.

"In one stretch, we will not be able to implement it but we are near that goal... it is a long process," he said.

He said the government has implemented all recommendations of the committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary which went into the demands for One-Rank One-Pension.

This would have a financial implication of Rs 2,200 crore and would help 12 lakh ex-servicemen, he said.


Source: PTI

Main aspects of one-rank one-pension addressed: Govt.

Main aspects of one-rank one-pension addressed: Govt.

With ex-servicemen protesting over the one-rank one-pension issue, Government has said the main aspects of the demand have already been addressed which are benefitting around 12 lakh personnel.

"The main aspects have already been addressed in-principle and there has been a substantial addressing of the issue and I think 12 lakh personnel below officer rank have benefitted because of these decisions," Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju said in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Ex-servicemen have been demanding equal pension for personnel retiring from the same rank irrespective of their date of retirement.

Persons retiring before the pay commission cut-off date get lesser pension than those retiring after that date.

Recently, while replying to a Parliamentary query, Raju had stated that government had accepted several recommendations of a Committee looking into the 'one rank one pension' demand to improve benefits of armed forces pensioners.

Among the recommendations were revision of Lt Generals' pension after carving out a separate pay scale for them and bringing parity between pension of pre- and post-October 10, 1997 for pensioners of personnel below officer rank. Fifth Pay Commission was implemented on that day.

He had said that around 12 lakh pensioners have benefitted by the government's decisions.
Source: DD News

Welfare of Ex-Servicemen - Defence Minister informed in Lok Sabha

Welfare of Ex-Servicemen

The number of ex-servicemen as on date in the country, statewise is as under:-

Sl No.	State	Number of Ex-Servicemen
1.	Andhra Pradesh	72801
2.	Arunachal Pradesh	1148
3.	Assam	42722
4.	Bihar	106997
5.	Chandigarh	375
6.	Chhatisgarh	1677
7.	Dadra Nagar Haveli	8
8.	Delhi	16887
9.	Goa Daman & Diu	424
10.	Gujarat	24433
11.	Haryana	217528
12.	Himachal Pradesh	110508
13.	Jammu & Kashmir	95282
14.	Jharkhand	11692
15.	Karnataka	65448
16.	Kerala	138114
17.	Madhya Pradesh	52596
18.	Maharastra	170431
19.	Manipur	7656
20.	Meghalaya	3041
21.	Mizoram	3723
22.	Nagaland	4677
23.	Orissa	34342
24.	Pondicherry	1153
25.	Andaman & Nicobar	823
26.	Lakshadweep	47
27.	Punjab	306743
28.	Rajasthan	167175
29.	Sikkim	911
30.	Tamil Nadu	129718
31.	Tripura	2257
32.	Uttar Pradesh	300643
33.	Uttarakhand	98326
34.	West Bengal	70399
	Total	2260705

The details of schemes being implemented for the welfare, rehabilitation and resettlement of ex-servicemen is as under:

Training

Ex-Servicemen are given training to prepare them for civilian life. Directorate General Resettlement is entrusted with the responsibility of preparing both-Ex-Servicmen and retiring service personnel for second carrier. Towards this end Officers and PBORs are given resettlement training at IIMs and various other institutes across the country.

Self Employment

The following self-employment schemes are operated for the welfare of officers and PBORs Ex-Servicemen:

(i) Security agencies.

(ii) Allotment of surplus army vehicles.

(iii) Coal Transportation Scheme.

(iv) Allotment of oil product agencies.

(v) Coal Tipper scheme.

(vi) Allotment of BPCL GHAR outlets.

(vii) Mother Dairy Milk and Fruits and Vegetables shops.

(viii) Management of CNG station by ESM officers in NCR.

(ix) Management of Toll Plaza under NHAI.

Financial Assistance

(i) Treatment of serious ailments

(ii) Supply of modified scooters for ESM paraplegics

(iii) Tools kits for ESM technician

(iv) Financial assistance for needy ESM for house repair, daughters marriage, children education etc.

Prime Minister’s Merit Scholarship Scheme

4000 scholarships are awarded every year to the wards of ex-servicemen to pursue technical and professional course.

Funds for maintenance of paraplegic rehabilitation centres, Cheshire home and St. Dustan aftercare organisation and war memorial hostels.

Besides the above the following benefits are also available to Ex-servicemen:-

(i) Tuition fee exemption for wards of war widows/war disable ex-Servicemen.

(ii) Allotment of medical / BDS seats to wards of defence personnel

(iii) Reservation in State Government jobs and in professional colleges for wards of ESM/widows.

(iv) Reservation in allotment of house sites/flats.

(v) Cash incentives for winners of gallantry awards.

(vi) Exgratia grant to war widows.

(vii) Concession in fare for rail and air to recipients of gallantry awards, permanently disabled officers and war widows.

(viii) Legal assistance and exemption of court fee

(ix) 10 to 24.5 % reservation in Group C and D posts in Central and State Government, PSUs, nationalized banks and paramilitary forces.

Medical Facility:

Along with the above benefit 100 % medical coverage is provided to ex-servicemen pensioners through Ex-Service Contributory health Scheme (ECHS), who are members of the scheme.

State-wise details of beneficiaries/expenditure are not maintained, however during the last three years 4326 officers, 83079 PBORs and 2998 Ex-Servicemen were trained for resettlement. In addition 1,17,779 Ex-Servicemen were provided employment during this period through Directorate General Resettlement. The expenditure for resettlement and welfare during the last three years is Rs. 100.18 crores. Moreover, Rs. 2009.77 crores was spent on medical treatment of Ex-Servicemen and their dependents.

The amount for rehabilitation of Ex-Servicemen is based on the yearly requirement as projected by the implementing agencies. Ex-Servicemen are getting appropriate placements.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Harishchandra Chavan in Lok Sabha today.
PIB

Government Approves Massive Expansion of Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme

Government Approves Massive Expansion of Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme

To provide equitable treatment to all eligible Ex-Servicemen and their dependents under the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) and to enhance the scheme’s coverage, the Union Cabinet today approved Establishment of 199 new polyclinics including 17 mobile medical facilities and 15 new regional centres at a cost of Rs. 141 crores. With this, the ECHS facility will now be extended to those areas, where Ex-Servicemen population is below 2,500 by setting up polyclinics which are within reasonable distance from Ex-Servicemen concentrations.

The Cabinet also approved reorganization and strengthening the Central Organisation ECHS by suitably increasing the manpower. It has authorized additional manpower – 2263 in number on contractual basis, to man the additional 199 polyclinics. It has also authorized 315 serving personnel – 60 officers and 255 PBORs, for proposed regional centres and seven officers and 15 PBORs for Central Organisation ECHS.

Financial implications towards creation of infrastructure will be about Rs.141 crore. This will entail a capital expenditure of Rs. 118.52 crore towards cost of land, construction and medical equipment. An amount of Rs. 22.25 crore of expenditure will cover purchase of furniture etc, and IT hardware. On the recurring side, an expenditure of Rs.43 crore per annum is envisaged.

It may be recalled that the ECHS was introduced on April 01, 2003 to provide comprehensive medical coverage to Ex-Servicemen pensioners, war widows and dependents by establishing 227 polyclinics at stations with Ex-Servicemen population above 2500 throughout the country. 106 polyclinics are at military stations and 121 polyclinics are at non-military stations. Where the Ex-Servicemen population is less than 2,500, the Ex-Servicemen face hardships in reaching polyclinics because of the distance. There are over 30 lakh ECHS beneficiaries now. On an average 60,000 Servicemen retire every year and this results in a further addition of 60,000 Ex-Servicemen and 1,44,000 dependents to the list of beneficiaries each year. Over 7 lakh Ex-Servicemen, who retired prior to April 01, 2003 have not opted for the scheme primarily due to non-availability of polyclinics near their places of residence. There are also insufficient number of regional centres to monitor the polyclinics.

Following is the list of additional polyclinics planned to be established:-

Jammu & Kashmir

Baramulla, Doda, Poonch, Baribrahmna (Jammu), Kargil, Nagrota (Kathua)

Himachal Pradesh

Rampur (Shimla), Nahan (Sirmaur), Shahpur (Kangra), Palampur (Kangra), Kullu, Dera Goppipur (Kangra), Jogindernagar (Mandi), Chamba, Ghumarwin (Bilaspur), Sarakaghat (Mandi), Barsar (Hamirpur),

Punjab

Mohali, Ajnala (Amritsar), Tarantaran (Amritsar), Beas (Amritsar), Nawansahar, Suranassi (Jalandhar), Uchi Bassi (Hoshiarpur), Abohar (Ferozpur), Jagraon (Ludhiana), Batala (Gurdaspur), Srigovindpur (Gurdaspur), Sultanpur Lodhi (Kapurthala), Phagwara (Kapurthala), Samana (Patiala), Barnala (Sangrur), Nabha (Patiala), Doraha (Ludhiana), Samarala (Ludhiana), Mahalpur (Hoshiarpur), Talwara (Hoshiarpur)

Haryana

Gohana (Sonepat), Mehan (Rohtak), Sampla (Rohtak), Loharu (Bhiwani), Kosli (Jhajjar), Bahadurgarh (Jhajjar), Gurgaon, Nuh (Gurgaon), Charki Dadri (Bhiwani), Mahendragarh, Narwana (Jind), Palwal (Faridabad), Hansi (Hissar), Dharuhera (Rewari), Narayangarh (Ambala), Kharkhauda (Sonepat)

National Capital Territory of Delhi

Shakurbasti, Timarpur, Khanpur, Preetvihar

Rajasthan

Neem Ka Thana (Sikar), Shergarh (Jodhpur), Dausa, Sanganer (Jaipur), Bhuwana (Jhunjhunu), Bhilwara, Suratgarh (Hanumangarh), Dungarpur, Rajsamand, Rajgarh (Churu), Chirawa (Jhunjhunu), Behror (Alwar)

Uttar Pradesh

Bagpat, Gonda, Basti, Jaunpur, Greater Noida (GB Nagar), Lakhimpur, Moradabad, Bijnaur, Rampur, Hardoi, Banda, Roberts Ganj (Mirzapur), Barabanki, Unnao, Hathras

Uttarakhand

Joshimath (Chamoli), Dehradun, Vikas Nagar (Dehradun), Tehri, Rudraprayag, Ranikhet, Almora, Bageshwar, Banbasa (Champavat), Rudrapur (Udham Singh nagar), Dharchula (Pithoragarh), Lansdowne (Paurigarhwal), Uttarkashi, Ramnagar (Nainital)

Bihar

Bhagalpur, Kathiar, Motihari, Siwan, Samastipur, Madhubani, Buxar, Vaishali, Sasaram (Rohtas) Khagaria, Munger, Sitamarhi

Jharkhand

Deoghar, Gumla, Chaibasa (West Singhbhoom), Daltonganj (Palamu), Dhanbad

Madhya Pradesh

Satna, Ujjain, Amla (East Nimar), Pachmarhi (Hoshangabad)

Chhattisgarh

Jagdalpur (Bastar), Bilaspur, Raigarh

West Bengal

Berhampore (Murshidabad), Baruipur (South 24 Pargana), Bankura, Howrah, Raiganj (North Dinajpur), Cooch Behar, Kalimpong (Darjeeling), Binaguri (Jalpaiguri)

Assam

Lanka (Naugaon), Bongaigaon, Tinsukia, Tezpur (Sonitpur), Misamari (Darrang), Dibrugarh, Goalpara, Dhubri, Lakhimpur

Manipur

Chura Chandpur

Nagaland

Mokokchung

Mizoram

Lunglei

Arunachal Pradesh

Tezu (Lohit), Along (West Siang)

Orissa

Puri, Sambalpur, Koraput, Angul, Bhawanipatna (Kalahandi), Dhenkanal

Andhra Pradesh

Srikakulam, Anantapur, Karnool, Cuddapah, Nellore, Karimnagar, Eluru (West Godavari), Secunderabad (Rangareddy), Khammam, Mehbubnagar

Tamil Nadu

Erode, Sivagangai (Sivaganga), Kumbhkonum (Tiruvallur), Chennai, Ramanathapuram, Tambram (Kanchipuram)

Kerala

Mavelikara (Alleppey), Kanhangad (Kasargode), Kalpetta (Wayanad), Thodupuzha (Idukki), Thiruvananthapuram, Changanacherry (Kottayam), Moovattupuzha (Ernakulum), Iritti (Kannur), Kunnamkulum (Trichur), Kottarakara (Kollam), Ranni (Pathanamthitta), Killimanur (Thiruvananthapuram)

Karnataka

Kolar, Tumkur, Hassan, Shimoga, Bangalore, Gulbarga, Bidar, Virarajendrapet (Kodagu)

Maharastra

Beed, Nanded, Karad (Satara), Wardha, Navi Mumbai (Mumbai), Pune, Khadki (Pune), Yavatmal, Dhule.

Goa

Vasco – Da – Gama

Gujarat

Gandhidham, Surat, Rajkot

Pudduchery

Pudduchery

In addition to these polyclinics 15 regional centres will also be set up at Shimla, Jalandhar, Dehradun, Ambala, Hissar, Meerut, Allahabad, Ranchi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Nagpur, Vizag, Bangalore, Coimbatore & Trivandrum.

Expedite pension and arrears of ex-servicemen: Antony to finance controllers

Expedite pension and arrears of ex-servicemen: Antony to finance controllers

The Defence Minister Shri AK Antony has called for early disbursal of revised pension and arrears to Ex-Servicemen. Inaugurating the Controllers’ Conference of the Defence Accounts Department here today, Shri Antony asked the Defence Finance officials to expedite and further streamline the pension system for the Armed Forces personnel.

“Even now, I am getting a lot of complaints from people that they are not getting pensions... Considering the past, things have improved, but even then complaints are there still... So you must take all steps possible so that they get their dues at the earliest,” Shri Antony said.

Commending the Defence Accounts Department for facilitating the procurement of weapons and systems, Shri Antony noted that the capital expenditure, utilised last year, has been an all-time record. He called for transparent, timely and judicious use of Defence Expenditure. He said that the Government has tried to infuse more transparency in the huge Defence outlay, which is over Rs. 1.52 lakh crores for the current financial year.

“Defence expenditure and procurement issues are complex and time-consuming and have a direct bearing on our national security. We have tried to infuse more transparency and efficiency into our procedures and systems. It is my firm belief that expenditure of public money must have an appropriate system of checks and balances”, he said.

In his address to the gathering, the Minister of State for Defence Dr. MM Pallam Raju said that the Defence Pension Adalats have become an effective mechanism for grievance redressal on the ground. He hoped that the pension arrears for pre-2006 PBORs would soon be disbursed. Dr. Pallam Raju said that the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (PCDA) would soon roll out the e-ticketing system for air travel. The PCDA Rail Booking System for e-ticketing would be introduced in another 200 Armed Forces units by next month and all units would be covered by the yearend, added Smt Nita Kapoor, Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA). The Secretary Defence Finance, Smt Indu Liberhan stressed the need for continuing institutionalized interaction between the Defence Finance and the three Services. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India Shri Vinod Rai said that since Defence Finance relates to a sensitive national security concern, the keyword for its success is the outcome and not simple accounting.

The Chief of the Army Staff General VK Singh and Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister Dr. VK Saraswat were among the dignitaries present at the inauguration of the three-day biennial conference.

Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare – five years in service of veterans

The Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (ESW), functioning under the Ministry of Defence, completes five years of its existence next week. Set up on September 22, 2004, the department caters exclusively to the rehabilitation and welfare of about 21lakh Ex-Servicemen (ESM) population and another five lakh ESM widows. Nearly 60,000 ESM are added to this huge number every year, largely due to perhaps the highest attrition rate in any organized sector among the Armed Forces in order to retain a youthful profile of the fighting forces, their primary task. Taken together with ESM dependents ranging between 50-70 lakhs, the Department of ESW shoulders responsibility of the welfare of roughly one crore population of ESM and their dependents.

The Department of ESW achieves its objectives through its three attached offices, consisting of the Directorate General of Resettlement (DGR), the Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB) and the Ex-Servicemen’s Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), besides coordinating with the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (PCDA), Allahabad. In January 2008 the Department of ESW came to be headed by a full-fledged Secretary-level officer, underlining the government’s commitment to the concerns of the huge ESM population. Besides helping the veterans resettle in a suitable second career, the department provides healthcare and ensures timely payment of benefits and pension to the ESM and their dependents.

The Directorate General of Resettlement (DGR) is the first avenue for the Services personnel on the verge of superannuation. It imparted training to over 34,000 officers and Persons Below Officer Rank (PBORs) during 2008-09 besides granting jobs to 51,000 ESM and securing placement for another 30,000 ESM in DGR-sponsored security agencies last year. The DGR, being the nodal agency for resettlement of ESM, has in recent years tied up with reputed management institutes to offer post-graduate diplomas to Services officers. It runs several successful ESM reemployment programmes including the popular Mother Dairy Milk and Fruit and Vegetable booths, placement in empanelled private security agencies, coal tipper scheme, allotment of army surplus vehicles, management of CNG stations and toll plazas under the NHAI and sponsoring ESM for the allotment of 8 percent quota of LPG, petrol pump and kerosene outlets reserved for wartime/peacetime widows and disabled soldiers. Last year 287 Mother Dairy outlets were allotted to ESM/dependents sponsored by the DGR. The DGR’s stupendous success in the placement of ESM in security agencies can be gauged from the fact that the number of ESM employed jumped from over 27,000 in 2007 to over 40,000 in 2008 while another over 17,000 have been successfully granted placement this year till May, 2009.

The Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB), the apex body for the welfare of war-wounded and other Ex-Servicemen (ESM), keeps in constant touch with the large ESM community, fulfilling their needs and aspirations through the 32 Rajya Sainik Boards and 355 Zila Sainik Boards spread across the country. KSB doles out about Rupees 7 crores aid every year to ESM, widows, children and orphans through welfare schemes out of the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund, which includes the Raksha Mantri’s Discretionary Fund ranging between Rs.5,000-1,25,000. The government recently amended the eligibility to include ESM up to the rank of Havildar and equivalent in the Navy and Air Force under the scheme. In another major initiative the KSB has in recent years replaced the crude motorized tricycles with the new modified 4-wheeled Honda Activa scooters distributed free of cost to the disabled ESM. The KSB also provides funds to the Red Cross Society, Cheshire Homes and Military Hospitals for the treatment and care of ESM and their wards and administers the award of more than 3,500 Prime Minister’s scholarships every year to wards of ESM.

The Ex-Servicemen’s Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) is another big success story in the Department of ESW’s endeavours and concerns for the ESM welfare. Founded in April 2003, the ECHS today has a vast network of 2,267 polyclinics, its membership jumping nearly ten-fold, - from 3.5 lakhs in 2005 to over 30 lakhs. ESM with disabilities who had to travel long distances to the Artificial Limb Centre, Pune, are now getting such medical aid from about 150 Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) -empanelled centres across the country. The government has also hiked ECHS allocation from Rs. 82.85 crore in 2004-05 to Rs. 690 crores in the current financial year. The Department of ESW further proposes to include soon the Nepal-domiciled Gorkhas, who continue to receive medical aid from the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund, under the ECHS and has given ‘in principle’ approval for setting up a Pension Payments Office (PPO) in Butwal, Nepal.

But all efforts and welfare schemes would come to a naught if the ESM does not get his monthly dues on time. The Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (PCDA), Allahabad is the nodal office, handling pension for about a whopping 17 lakh ESM and dependents through banks, treasuries, Pension Disbursing Offices besides the vast postal network all over the country. The government has recently issued instructions to issue simultaneous notification of Service and Disability Pension to avoid delays in release of the latter. Unmarried daughters over 25 years of age and widowed / divorced daughters dependent on the ESM have now been granted family pension and several other steps to support the ESM dependents have been introduced. Other major initiatives include, - hiking minimum pension from Rs. 1,913 to Rs.3,500 pm, removal of linkage of full pension with a qualifying service of 33 years from Jan.01, 2006, commutation of pension increased, gratuity hiked from Rs.3.5 lakhs to Rs.10 lakhs and special family pension hiked from Rs.2,550 to Rs.7,000 pm. The government has also improved pension for Ex-service personnel, besides benefits accruing out of the Sixth Pay Commission including Military Service Pay to Armed Forces personnel and awarding a higher separate Pay Bands for officers of the rank of Lt. General and Lt. Colonel, or equivalent, respectively. Additional pension has been granted in varying range for elderly pensioners, with the government granting cumulative benefits of Rs.2,144 crores to the men in the three Services and the ESM.

Pension Adalats have been a tremendous success in settling disputes related to ESM spread across the country; six such Adalats are normally held in places with large concentration of ESM population.

In contribution of the sacrifices made by the martyrs, war-wounded, Ex-Servicemen and their dependents, the DGR marks December 7 every year as the Armed Forces Flag Day (AFFD) when the nation remembers its veterans and generously contributes to the Flag Day Fund.

Resettlement of Ex-Servicemen

There is no proposal to extend minimum pensionary benefits to the ex-servicemen who render less than 15 years of service.

The data with regard to number of ex-servicemen State-wise is given below:

Sl.No.	States	EX- SERVICEMEN
-	-	Army	Air Force	Navy	TOTAL
1.	Andhra Pradesh	58703	10522	4479	73704
2.	Arunachal Pradesh	284	0	0	284
3.	Assam	30219	2184	872	33275
4.	Bihar	64972	3075	1458	69505
5.	Chattisgarh	4209	272	156	4637
6.	Goa	1118	204	646	1968
7.	Gujarat	16615	3818	607	21040
8.	Haryana	215075	10432	8781	234288
9.	Himachal Pradesh	95905	1989	3163	101057
10.	Jammu Kashmir	65254	601	458	66313
11.	Jharkhand	17064	1084	843	18991
12.	Karnataka	53834	9167	2094	65095
13.	Kerala	123380	20185	11048	154613
14.	Madhya Pradesh	35630	1548	1057	38235
15.	Maharashtra	132381	11239	13362	156982
16.	Manipur	6225	74	33	6332
17.	Meghalaya	2072	78	54	2204
18.	Mizoram	4642	20	20	4682
19.	Nagaland	2560	8	17	2585
20.	Orissa	23629	4435	2085	30149
21.	Punjab	266238	9837	5103	281178
22.	Rajasthan	136664	6453	3554	146671
23.	Sikkim	1094	1	8	1103
24.	Tamil Nadu	105429	10886	3248	119563
25.	Tripura	2107	101	51	2259
26.	Uttarakhand	222314	19143	10533	251990
27.	Uttar Pradesh	111922	2028	2088	116038
28.	West Bengal	47657	9588	3512	60757
29.	A & N Islands UT	435	103	140	678
30.	Chandigarh UT	6047	2399	340	8786
31.	Delhi	28294	6214	2709	37217
32.	Puducherry UT	1272	327	89	1688
31.	TOTAL	1883244	148015	82608	2113867

Note: Figures for the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Manipur are provisional.

Various training and self-employment schemes for the welfare and resettlement of ex-servicemen are provided through the Directorate General of Resettlement (DGR) and Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB). Details are as follows:

Ex-servicemen are given training to prepare them for civilian life. DGR is entrusted with the responsibility of preparing both ex-servicemen and retiring service personnel for a second career. Towards this end Officers and PBORs are given resettlement training at IIMs and various other institutes across the country.

The following self employment schemes are operated for the welfare of officers and PBORs Ex-servicemen: Security Agencies; Allotment of surplus army vehicles; Coal Transportation scheme; Coal Tipper Scheme; Allotment of oil product agencies; Allotment of BPCL-GHAR outlets; Mother Diary Milk and Fruits and Vegetables shops; Management of CNG Station by ESM Officers in NCR; Management of Toll Plaza under NHAI; Kidzee brand chain franchise. Financial assistance is provided for treatment of serious ailments, supply of modified scooters for ESM paraplegics, toolkits for ESM technician, financial assistance for needy ESM for house repair, daughter’s marriage, children education etc, Prime Minister’s Merit Scholarship Scheme, funds for maintenance of paraplegic rehabilitation centres, Cheshire home and St. Dustan aftercare organization and war memorial hostels. Besides the above the following benefits are also available to Ex-servicemen: Tuition Fee exemption for wards of war widows/war disabled ESM; Allotment of medical/BDS seats to wards of Defence Personnel; Reservation in State Government jobs and in professional colleges for wards of ESM/widows; Reservation in allotment of house sites/flats; Cash incentives for winners of gallantry awards; Ex-gratia grant to war widows; Legal assistance and exemption of court fee; Concession in fare for rail and air to recipients of gallantry awards, permanently disabled Officers and war widows; 10 to 24.5% reservation in Group ‘C’ and ‘D’ posts in Central and State Governments, PSUs, nationalized banks and paramilitary forces. Along with the above benefits 100% medical coverage is provided to ESM pensioners through Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), who are members of the scheme. This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Shri M.M. Pallam Raju in a written reply to Shri Kodikkunnil Suresh in Lok Sabha today.

Centre working on next-best option to one-rank, one-pay

The government seems all set to upwardly revise pension of ex-servicemen to bring them closer to the long-demanded “ one rank, one-pension” mechanism.

Though holding that full OROP is neither financially nor administratively possible, the government promises to resolve the existing anomalies in the pension structures of ex-servicemen which have been accentuated by the 6th Pay Commission.

On Thursday, cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar, who heads the committee of secretaries (CoS) looking into the issue, made a presentation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He is also said to have discussed the pros and cons of granting the OROP demand based on the nearly two-month study that the committee carried out on the subject.

Others present during the presentation included finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, defence minister A K Antony, home minister P Chidambaram and minister of state (personnel) Prithviraj Chavan. The UPA government has already committed itself to taking a decision on the subject by the end of June in President Pratibha Patil’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament on June4.

Just before the crucial fourth phase of polling on May 7, the defence ministry had declared that a committee headed by the cabinet secretary had been constituted to ‘‘reduce the gap in the pensionary benefits to officers and jawans, bringing it as close to OROP as possible’’.
Source: The Times of India

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