Officials denying legitimate dues to defence personnel need to be imprisoned

 

Wednesday, 13 January 2016

Officials denying legitimate dues to defence personnel need to be imprisoned

The officials who deny authorized dues/rights/benefits to the soldiers especially the widows, senior citizens and the disabled need to be imprisoned and boycotted socially by the defence fraternity. Such people need to be treated as enemies of the nation since they are demoralizing the guardians of the nation and weakening the security of India.
Now what should be done with this joker JCDA who denied the legitimate ex-gratia to the widow of a soldier? If no action is taken against him, other officials will get emboldened in their acts of callousness towards the soldiers.

High time, such people are weeded out of the Govt. jobs. AFT must award such officials a severe punishment. They need to be prosecuted under the criminal law.

AFT ORDERS EX GRATIA FOR WIDOW OF SQN LDR KILLED IN EVEREST EXPEDITION

Vijay Mohan,Tribune News Service,Chandigarh, January 11

While holding that participation in adventure activities, when detailed for the same, was bona fide service duty, the Armed Force Tribunal (AFT) has termed as “perverse” and “malafide” Defence Accounts Department officials’ move to reject ex gratia benefits to the widow of an Air Force officer who had died during an expedition to Mt Everest 10 years ago.“Without applying the mind to the provisions, the case of the petitioner has been rejected. We hope that the government will take appropriate action against the delinquent officials for sitting over the issue for so long,” the AFT said.While descending after successfully summiting the Everest, the officer, Squadron Leader SS Chaitanya, had died in May 2005 due to a heavy storm. His wife had sought ex gratia.The Air Force had recommended ex gratia in accordance with the Rules of Casualty Pensionary Awards to Armed Forces Personnel, which state that mountaineering expeditions organised by the service authorities, with the approval of the Service Headquarters would be deemed to be ‘on duty’.The detailment orders issued for the officer by the Air Headquarters and the government sanction letter for the expedition were also produced on court record.An officer of the level of Joint Controller of Defence Accounts (JCDA), however, refused to grant ex gratia. The AFT said the respondent department had not filed reply as to why the payment has not been made and that the stand of the JCDA was that there was no casual connection in the occurrence of the death and the service rendered by the officer.Ruling that there was no dispute that the victim was on official duty, the AFT said it was pained to note that the matter was treated with utmost callousness without understanding the plight of the officer’s wife. It directed the authorities to release ex gratia within two months along with interest at the rate of 18 per cent per annum from the date of the officer’s death.

 

[Defence Pay Pension]