02/06/2018
INDIAN SHORT SERVICE COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION (ISSCOA) For Released SSCO/WSES/ECOs
E Mail Id: [email protected], [email protected]
To
Shri Narendra Modi 4th June 2018
Hon’ble Prime Minister of India,
Dear sir,
Sub:- REMINDER-1: MANN KI BAAT OF SSCO’s/ECO’s/WSES OFFICERS: SAVE OUR SOULS
GRANT OF HONOUR AND RETIRING BENEFITS @ Rs1/= AND MEDICAL FACILITIES AT MILITARY
HOSPITALS TO SHORT SERVICE COMMISSIONED (SSCO’s)/WSES OFFICERS/ECO’s, WHO
SERVED FOR 5/10/14 YEARS IN THE INDIAN ARMED FORCES (ARMY, AIR FORCE & NAVY)
AT PAR WITH PCO’s ON THE PRINCIPLE OF ONE RANK ONE PRIVILEGE.
MOTTO OF OFFICERS TRAINING ACADEMY IS “SERVE WITH HONOUR & LIVE WITH DIGNITY”
Refer: Our letter of dated 24th February 2018 addressed to your Hon’ble authority, which went unanswered and so was the fate of letters written to Hon’ble President, Supreme Commander of Defence Forces, Raksha Mantri and the Three chief’s which also went unanswered.
Indian Short Service Commissioned Officers Association (ISSCOA) is a group of EC/SSC/WSESO’s of Indian Armed Forces who have united together to seek justice for grant of HONOUR and other retirement benefits at par with Permanent Commissioned Officers for similar service. Following is for your kind consideration and earliest redressal of the grievances;
Following the HUMILIATING DEFEAT, during Chinese Aggression in October 1962, Shri Krishna Menon, the then Defense Minister, had to resign and there was felt an urgent need for more officers in the Indian Armed Forces. Thus, on a National Call, Emergency Commission was introduced due to the extreme shortage of Officers, without any clear Government Policy and the terms of employment framed were arbitrary to suit the employer’s needs with no concern whatsoever for the rights of the employees and this shortage is still consistently existing in the INDIAN ARMED FORCES.
2.The Indian youth is being exploited by the Govt. in the name of SSC because large number of educated B.Sc./B. Tech/M. Tech and unemployed youth is available, who is in a hurry to get a job and happy to become an officer directly. But at the time of recruitment the truth is suppressed and is not explicitly told what all benefits equivalent to Permanent Commission officer or Central Govt. employees he would get, if released/Retired after 10 yrs.
3.Brig. Ram Singh, the First Commandant along with Shri C Subramaniam, the then Union Minister of Steel and Heavy Industries, formally inaugurated the OTS with an inspiring speech that has proved prophetic,” I have no doubt that when History comes to be written, it will be said that our young men of today did not fail to rise to the occasion and they came forward in thousands for the defense of our great nation” which the present generation of MoD has forgotten rather has ignored at all the achievements and sacrifices of SSRC Officers.
4..As we, understand, the Short Service Regular Commission for Officers in the Indian Armed Forces was conceptualized to have young and battle fit officers continuously Available with the tenure of 5 years in the Army/Air Force and 7 years for Navy was prescribed. SSC Officers are no
Regd. Office: B-4/3023, 2nd Floor, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi-110070
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less than their permanent commissioned counter parts, when citing examples of MARTYRDOM by them. We need to go in to the history, which speaks volumes in their HONOUR. Between the year 1965 to 1999, there have been 244, MARTYRS from OTA as listed in its alumni website, 22 % of these martyrs’ were from regularized lot, where as 78% were MARTYRED during THEIR SSC TENURE. It is, therefore, evident from the above that the enemy bullets will not discriminate between pco, ssco or a jawan granted short service commission. A mother does not discriminate between her two children and looks after them with one sight, than why must MoD/Government of India? SSC tenders his services in the prime of youth thereby curtailing his career options in exchange of services for the nation. An officer is an officer and must get equal benefits for equal years of service on his Release/Retirement rather than MoD creating a class within a class by creating STEP BROTHERS to PCO’s in Indian Armed Forces and their condition is akin to EUNACHS without HONOUR, BENEFITS and even MEDICAL FACILITY in MILITARY HOSPITALS.
5.SSCO’s on joining the Regiments/Battalions, abinitio faced HUMILIATIONS, DISCRIMINATIONS, EXPLOITATIONS, SACRIFICES AND DEPRIVATION of HONOUR. SSCO’s exhibited INFINITE COURAGE, COMMITMENT and CONVICTION to their rank and displayed DISCIPLINE, DEVOTION, Dedication and DETERMINATION by standing shoulder to shoulder with permanent officers even in the time of extreme exigencies, thus it is unjust to create a class within a class. The second hand treatment meted out to the SSC Officers is worse than Class III and Class IV employees in the country in depriving them of just and legitimate HONOUR and Pensioner’s benefits.
6.Short Service Commission was short when it was for 5 years and officers had the facility to sit in UPSC competition with relaxation in subjects and age to his credit along with Army experience. And many Officers from EC-1 to SS-5, availed this facility and retired as District Magistrates, Chief Secretaries and were Governors of States after their SSC tenure. Later on this facility was slyly withdrawn by MoD from SS-6 as permanent officers in MoD felt jealous of SSC Officers who acclaimed top posts in Civil services.
Capt Abhimanyu Singh Sindhu, an Ex-SSC officer is a Finance Minister of Haryana. He is passionate for the cause of SSC Officers and has urged in the Haryana Assembly to start Honorarium to Released SSC Officers who give prime years of their life to the armed forces.
Capt Satnam Singh was part of IPKF Operations in Sri Lanka in 1986-87. His Tank was blown off by a land mine. His driver was killed and Capt Satnam Singh was injured. He was released after 10 years of service without any Disability pension. After release set up a Travel Agency but went in to losses and could not own a house.
A SAD SAGA OF 1971 WAR HERO: CAPTAIN VIJENDRA SINGH GURUNG;
Captain Vijendra Singh Gurang, was a Short Service Commissioned officer, who had his
Schooling in King George’s Military School, Chail,Himachal Pradesh. He was an excellent
Sportsman. He was commissioned in 3 ASSAM, who participated in 1971 War. His Battalion was
deployed in Akhnoor Sector prior to 1971 war. He was taken as a prisoner when P**is overran our defences in Chamb Sector on the very first night of 03 Dec.1971 along with many others. As was expected, he was tortured in P**istan jails. Due to inhuman torture, Captain Vijendra Singh Gurung became a mental-wreck. He was lucky in that he was repatriated back to India in 1973 due to the intervention of World Red Cross unlike the 54 PoWs who are still languishing in P**i jails till date. What happened thereafter is very heart wrenching. He for some reason was not given psychiatric treatment in the MHs or Command Hospitals and was not granted Permanent Commission and was boarded out of the Army without any benefits. This is how our system works. Till recently, he was leading a pathetic life in Dehra Doon. Had he been a permanent Commissioned officer he would have continued in the Indian Army? He worked as a labourer
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till spotted by Brig R S Rawat, President, TSEWA, Uttarakhand and Lt. Col Anil Joshi his chail School mate and others gave details about the way this SS officer lives today. Rally with “Fauji India” is helping this estranged officer regain his mental health and self-pride.
7. OTS/now OTA, Chennai stands tall as a PREMIER INSTITUTE to the testimony, for the last 55 years i.e. over half a century, starting 1963 is still training and Producing SSC Officers for the Indian Army. Whereas, the British established 7 OTS during 1942-45 for commissioning officers for Indian Army and Common Wealth Armies but closed all schools after the war. Now When the Indian Govt. realizes the constant fear of escalation of hostilities from P**istan and China, continues training officers at Chennai and even at Goa, OTA. Therefore, it must provide those benefits at par with permanent Commission Officers and must not create a class within a class.
8. Short Service Commission ceased to be short when it was made minimum 7 years. It was exploitative when made 10 years and it is just the abuse of the youth when extended to 14 years. At this juncture, the officer has a family, School going children and old aged parents to support. After coming back to civil life, they have to struggle and strive for their survival in absence of any financial back up. Anything more than 7 years be treated as career option and a career cannot end abruptly after 10/14 years with additional compulsory Reserve liability for a period of 5 years plus 11 months training at OTA, which is counted for an OR getting SS commission gets included for pension after 12 years, can/will enable SSCO’s (10+5+11 months), a captain of 10 years to aspire rank of a Lt Col and be given pensioners benefits but denying another extension of 10/6 years by MoD to become eligible for Pensioners benefits and privileges for the one Rank they attained, for the tenure an officer served in the Armed Forces, is a CATASTROPHE.
9.On an average 33 % officers are regularized for Permanent Commission in each course and the rest are shown the door which seems to be the drain on the exchequer by the ill conceived planning of the MoD. Another crucial fact is that MoD has consistently mentioned in CDS Advertisements that Pension is under consideration and separate orders will be issued from 1966 to 2002 and even this fact is precisely illustrated in the RTI received recently on 2nd May 2018. Supreme Court announced recently that,” Pension is an entitlement of a person for years of service he/she has rendered to the Govt. in discharge of official duties.”
10Govt. is spending huge amount on training of these SSC Officers. It is ridiculous that we are wasting our nation’s resources on these trained soldiers by not utilizing their full potential. It would be prudent to absorb them in service or at least reduce the intake ratio in the OTS, at Chennai and Gaya. We recommend to the Govt. of India that a high Powered Commission be set up to take stock of follies in the SS commission and rectify the wrong doings and policy decisions of Mod and 3 Service HQs.
11.The OTS/now OTA, Chennai has produced many War Heroes and distinguished officers decorated with 3 Param Vir Chakra, 10 Mahavir Chakra, 3 Vir Chakaras and 8 Ashoka Chakras, 21 kirti Chakras, 26 Ati Vishist Seva Medals,, 110 Shaurya Chakras, 24 Youdh Seva , 259 Sena Medals, 130 Bar to VSM. Apart from these, there are many more from Indian Air Force and Indian Navy who made India proud. The WSES Officers Scheme was started in 1991. The need for the SSCO’s is felt so much by the Indian Army that OTA Gaya was raised in 2011 than why deprive them benefits to be at par with Permanent Commission Officers?
12. It is high time when our Govt. should either release the SSC officer on completion of 5 Years service (with 25 % of Full Pension of Service) along with privilege to appear in UPSC with relaxation in subjects or grant permanent commission. Thereafter, as and when the Government releases/permits to release, he/she must get all the rights as provided by the law/regulations as granted to a Govt. Employee/ Defense Officer after 10 years qualifying Service, pension, if released/retired by the Government.
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13.After commissioning, the employability of the SSCO and PCO is the same with similar risk factors and to your astonishment the risk taking capability of SS officer is way beyond because SSCO is always at the mercy of his commanding officer who decides his fate by endorsing his remarks for permanent commission. An Other Rank (OR) that
gets selected for SSC gets entitled to pensioner’s benefits with 12 years of service including the training period at the academy, therefore, SSCO’s/ECO’s/WSES Officers who serves 5 to 14 years with compulsory 5 years as Reserve liability, are released with Ranks as Captains with 10 years of service & now Major’s with 6 yrs. and Lieutenant Colonel’s with 13 years but without Pension, is the worst creation of MoD, need to be HONOURED by Govt. of India and Countrymen as they are no less than Swatantra Senanis, who are being rightfully HONOURED by the Govt. of India. As per RTI received Letter No.36503/RTI/652/RKB/MSL of dated 12 December 2011 confirms,” Total No. of SSCO’s, who were released till the date is 4308 from 1966 to Dec. 2011 in 44 years and another 2,000 approx. from Indian Navy and Air Force that a makes it about 6,500 in total which is very negligible figure as compared to the population of India.
Sir, recently, the bankers were on 2 days en masse strike in India i.e. on 30th and 31st May 2018 leading to a colossal loss to the exchequer and Nation, despite availing Saturday/Sundays/Holidays off, are entitled to pensioner’s benefits since 1995, similarly all central Govt employees are entitled pension then why SSC officers who join Indian Armed Forces on a National call for 5 years are given extension to 10/14 years, remain away from families, loyal to countrymen and nation even get MARTYRED, are being deprived off pensioners benefits for the tenure we serve in the Indian Armed Forces. We feel Proud even when we alter prime years of our youth to the nation? but remain thorn in the eye of the MoD, who does not wish to see SSCO’s to be in their shoes.
In consideration of the above illustrated facts, we, 6,500 appx. Released SSCO’s/ECO’s/WSES officers of 3 wings of the Indian Armed Forces, many of them who are War Veterans are suffering. They were commissioned to fight wars but decommissioned for privileges for sacrifices made during prime time of their life. Our own Defense organizations have defeated us, used us and thrown us, abruptly after 5/10/14 years. We have been deprived of just and legitimate benefits. We pray that our services to safeguard and keeping the boundaries of nation intact by working 24x7x360 days without any off of Saturdays/Sundays/Holidays unlike Civilians be acknowledged. We, who fought 1965, Indo-Pak War 1971 by splitting P**istan into two and Kargil 1999, and remained victorious throughout, request to rectify the historical follies committed by the MoD earlier and now under extensively changed Social Welfare climate created under your benevolent leadership, approach to your Hon’ble benign authority to humbly recognize and bestow HONOUR with at least Rs. 1/- per month as pension and Medical Facilities in Military Hospitals, as Supreme Court’s interpretation of the right to life of dignity which is an integral part of the commissions elucidating stance on retirement benefits is a human right, wherein families that are denied rightful retirement benefits face starvation and poverty.
Thanking you,
Yours faithful,
(Captain Maharaj Singh Uppal)
SS-9/10 years,
Chief Coordinator,
ISSCOA/Delhi Mob; 95602 76611
