Most Shocking- Why blame the Babus and the Government

Dear Friends,
Jai Hind.
I am sure some of you can reach the serving Chiefs, Vice Chiefs and Deputy Chiefs and some of the Former Chiefs.
For the sake of larger interest of all the Veterans, please do have the moral courage and do send a copy of the email below to them.
Please do tell them that so far Veterans were vaguely blaming the Former Chiefs and serving Chiefs for the constantly deteriorating status of the Armed Forces and constantly loosing on the financial entitlements – the email below clarifies the situation completely and no doubts are left in our mind.
I had received similar emails giving stories of 4th and 5th CPC, but those were stories received through third persons and thus not circulated.
I feel those stories also must have been true, in particular, I am told that the Rank Pay case was knowingly ruined by one of the Pay Cells of the three services for personal benefits.
Vande Matram
In service of Indian Military Veterans
Chander Kamboj.


Dear Sir,
It's some time since I communicated with you. But I am glad that I am able to do so now. Incidentally I retired form the Navy on 31 July 2010 in the rank of Rear Adm. I stay in Bangalore and am still settling some family issues before I pen down my experiences of the Sixth Pay Commission. I will try to mask my contempt for those in the highest echelons for conniving with the powers in Delhi quite obviously for personal benefit.
I was baffled how suddenly when we were winning through, due to the hard work of the Pay Cells, that suddenly the established system was bypassed and the Army started calling the cards from the DG PS Office. Grade Pay that was my first priority where Cdr's who should have been getting Rs 8700 was watered down to two lines and the fourth priority, in a missive signed by the then CNS, Admiral Sureesh Mehta. Since, I as Chairman PARC, should have been consulted, before this letter was signed, I did what I believed was honourable and asked to be replaced, which did happen.
Secondly, while we talk about OROP, I see that one particular aspect has been completely ignored. A young Lt Cdr in my Naval team observed that the Sixth Pay Commission had created Pay promotions for the Group A Services up to the rank of Addl Secy. This has now been implemented. At that time I explained this to the CNS and the Air Chief in end July 2008. It was subsequently put up to the Defence Minister as the 15th Anomaly in July itself. We wanted to ensure that the Services were not left out of this largesse.
Suddenly all went quiet on that front and nothing more was heard. This non functional promotion means that in case an Officer in a particular Batch in the Cival Services is promoted over his batchmates, they would automatically move up and get a pay promotion on a non-functional basis, two years later. This means that our Officers too, not being lower than the organised Group A Services should also have been treated the same. Why was this glaring loophole covered up by the Armed Forces hierarchy? If this is also given to us, all Officers retiring from Service would automatically move up to the Addl Secy scale. I believe that we ourselves and by that I mean our hierarchy, do not want this. But is this fair?
Another aspect that I think I need to raise is that I have often heard some of our veterans stating that all IAS Officers are assured of promotions to the post of Joint Secy. I would like to clarify that this is not true. They now will all reach Secretary level without exception, unless they are implicated in some crime. Don't we at least have a case to strive for non functional promotions to the Addl Secy level like all other Group A services?
Lastly Sir, I must also say that you have hit the nail on the head, so far as some of our brethren in the Technical Services are concerned. Middlemen are not being discouraged and this is a sad reflection on our honour. Again we need to introspect ourselves.
Warm regards,
Rear Adm Alan O'Leary (Retd)