Now, paramilitary forces want ‘one-rank, one-pension’ benefit
NEW DELHI: The government is struggling to implement one-rank-one-pension (OROP) for armed forces and has begun to face angry protests now, but there is more trouble ahead. Now paramilitary forces are demanding that they too be given the same benefit.
In a representation to the seventh pay commission through home ministry, forces have demanded one-rank -one-pension for themselves arguing that they are the first line of defence on the border and work in far tougher conditions compared to the Army.
See also: Demand for one-rank one-pension to be considered: Rajnath Singh
They have also demanded parity in all special pay and allowances with the armed forces apart from asking for similar leave, peace posting and housing policies as that of the Army. Going beyond comparison with armed forces, they have demanded child care leave for widowed jawans and pushed for their long-standing demand of non-functional upgradation of pay for officers denied promotion for lack of vacancies.
For a government that’s comparably more vocal about its concern for force welfare, it’s a situation that it will find difficult to wriggle out of. Already the financial burden (over Rs 8,000 crore annually) to implement OROP for 13-lakh-strong armed forces is weighing on the government’s mind. To implement the same facility for nine-lakh-strong paramilitary forces would require massive financial accommodation.
In its memorandum to seventh pay commission, ITBP DG, on behalf of all central armed police forces (CAPFs), recommended: “Recently government has also announced OROP scheme to the armed forces retirees. As regard comparison between Army and ITBP, the ITBP officers and personnel are deployed 24x7x365 days ahead of Army on the show window on the borders of Indo-China and Army is operationally deployed only after external aggression so warrants.
“Therefore it is recommended that ITBP personnel including all counterpart of CAPFs may also be granted OROP as in the case of Army keeping in view of the similar or even tougher working conditions which will remove disparity in the service matters and human rights.”
On the lines of armed forces the memorandum also demands the paramilitary forces be given free rations at all locations and not just on the borders. It has also asked that its ration money allowance be exempted from income tax just as it is for the Army.
With too few leaves and denial of the existing ones being a prime reason for attrition among CAPFs, the memorandum has demanded that officers and jawans be given 60 days earned leave and 20-30 days casual leave irrespective of posting on the lines of the Army. At present only 30 days earned leave and eight days casual leave is available to CAPF personnel if they are posted in any of the headquarters of the force.
It has also proposed grant of a “CAPFs Service Pay on the similar condition and scales as given to the Armed Forces on the principle of similar dispensation for similarly placed employees”. At present the pay scale for armed forces for being posted in a hard area is higher than CAPFs posted in similar conditions.
Read at:Times of India
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COMMENTS
Para -Military forces are NOT military.Their terms of service are totally different including the age of retirement.How can they demand Parity?This was one of the trump cards played by Babu's in Def, and Fin.Ministries for several decades to deny a soldier his due with ignorant ministers just promising and promising, but never acting on their promises. There is a limit to everything.The politicians should no longer test the patience of an otherwise disciplined force.
At one time the minor minister for External Affairs, not long ago a General of the Army acted as though he was going to attack the Capital/ Union Government at the behest of the BJP in the last phase of the UPA Regime and he is awarded in a plum post he is holding as on date. Then the bureaucracy had leak in their pants. Days are not far in real terms both for the BJP and the bureaucrats with an equal and similar reaction. Just imagine a soldier comparing his financial security to that of a terrorist/ antisocial element/ blackmailing public servant to have a comfortable life. With the changing times the Armed Forces too will change their morality, then it is the present government that will be responsible for the degradation of the honour of our country. Is the PM ready to take such responsibility in degrading our Mother Land. Will he be instrumental to degrade our Armed a Forces to that extent? Still, the Armed Forces are disciplined to revere our Mother Land and never allow her discredited, but the DM, FM and the PM may resort to defame her. If the government fail to recognise the OROP demand an unexpected revolution will start from the barracks of the soldiers to blacken the faces of all political parties. Is Mr Modi prepared to own the responsibility for this degradation?
Coalgate,lalitgate,IPLdate,2G/3Ggate and many more scams in india can fetch ample of money to cater to the needs of OROP for all. Besides, black stacked in swiss bank will only suffice this need. In India we have plenty of money provided it is spent intelligently and 'RAMRAJYA' will prevail.