ANOMALY IN THE RATIONALIZATION OF CASUALTY AWARDS

ANOMALY IN THE RATIONALIZATION OF CASUALTY AWARDS

The fundamental principle of fixing the casualty awards at the rate of 60% of the minimum of the scales of pay for all the pensioners irrespective of date of retirement has been silently shifted away in the recent order on the subject dated 4^th May 2009. This is a great injustice to the families of the men who laid down their lives for the country.

The bureaucracy is playing havoc with the life of these poor widows who have lost their bread winners for the sake of the motherland. Probably they are testing our inability to negotiate on the issue with anyone in the MOD.

The MOD vide their letter No.PC1(2)/97/D(Pen/C) dated 16/05/2001 fixed the Special Family Pension in the 5^th CPC as follows:-

Para 2 Special Family Pension

2. In case of pensioners in receipt of SFP as on 01.01.1996, their pension will be consolidated in terms of this Ministry’s letter No.1(2)/97/D (Pen/Services) dt.24 Nov 1997 in the first instance. The special family pension, so consolidated irrespective of the date of award, shall not be less than 60% of the minimum pay in the revised scale of pay introduced w.e.f. 01.01.96 of the rank, rank & group (in case of PBOR) held by the deceased personnel at the time of death, subject to a minimum of Rs.2550/- per month.

While issuing the orders for revising the same SFP for the 6^th CPC, the contents of the order No.16(6)/2008(1)/D(Pension/Policy) MOD dt.04/05/09 have been truncated as follows:-

Para 4

Special/Liberalized Family Pension/Dependent Pension (Special)/Dependent Pension (Liberalized)

4.1 Families in receipt of SFP, Liberalized Family Pension, Dependent Pension (Special), Dependent Pension (Liberalized)/2^nd life award (in respect of PBOR including NCs(E), shall draw revised family pension w.e.f. 01.01.2006 in terms of Para 4.1 of this ministry’s letter dt.11.11.08.

4.2 The amount of revised consolidated SFP, granted to the families of Armed Personnel under the circumstances prescribed under the category ‘B’ & ‘C’ of Para 4.1 of this ministry’s letter dt.31.1.2001 will be subject to a minimum of Rs.7000/- per month.

The clause “ the Special Family Pension so consolidated irrespective of the date of award shall not be less than 60% of the minimum pay in the revised scale of pay introduced w.e.f. 01.01.1996 of the rank, rank & group (in case of PBOR) held by the deceased personnel at the time of death”, which was included in the revision for the 5^th CPC order in now missing in the 6^th CPC orders.

The missing of this clause is a great anomaly in the rationalization of casualty pensionary awards. Because of the non-inclusion of the 60% clause for the SFP, the pensioners are losing a sizeable amount from their monthly pension.

This order should not be implemented till this anomaly is removed. The IESL, IESM and the AFA should join together and meet the Director (Pension/Policy) Mr.Harbans Singh immediately to remove anomaly.

The Secretary of RDOA while referring the anomaly on Disability pension to the MOD regarding the non-shifting of disability pension rates from slab rates to percentage rates had missed this glaring anomaly of shifting away from the 60% of the pay while rationalizing the casualty awards.

Rationalization of casualty awards - order dt.04.05.2009