ECHS POLYCLINICS

Facilities in Polyclinics

Government has approved a pilot project for online electronic bill processing at five stations, i.e. Delhi, Chandigarh, Pune, Secunderabad and Trivandrum. This will ensure prompt payment to hospitals. In order to ensure that medicines are available on demand at the polyclinics the Government is exploring various measures including outsourcing of pharmacy services to reputed pharmacy companies. This measure is expected to greatly enhance clientele satisfaction as 90% patients are treated and given medicines at the Polyclinics 

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Dr MM PallamRaju in written reply to Shri RajaiahSiricilla and others in Lok Sabha today. 

PK/NN 
(Release ID :82788)

CAR SALES THROUGH CSD

Fresh information on Car sales through CSD

The Deputy Directorate General Canteen Services (DDGCS) at the QMG’s branch has issued a fresh letter reiterating the ban of car sales through CSD on account of budgetary constraints.

The letter issued on 22 Feb 2012 however states that despite the ban, the directorate has been authorised to grant permission on case to case basis and for this a special ‘Car Sanction Cell’ is being established.

The Cell would be manned by a Section Officer who would be available on telephone numbers (011) 23092563 and 23093572.

Irrespective of rank, anybody who is desirous of buying a car through CSD can apply to the DDG CS with an application with the following particulars :

(a)  Date of car last purchased from CSD

(b)  Reasons for requirement of the special sanction

(c)  Make and Model of the car required

(d)  Name of depot from where the car is required

The letter reiterates that the ban would be lifted completely when the budgetary situation improves but till that happens this adhoc arrangement shall continue.

Source - indianmilitaryinfo

VAT on CSD

Hooda reduces VAT on CSD goods by 1%

A civil military liaison conference between the Haryana government and the Army was held at Western Command Headquarters, Chandimandir, on Wednesday. The meeting was co-chaired by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GoC-in-C), Western Command, Lieutenant General S R Ghosh.

Hooda announced reduction in VAT on CSD goods from 5.25 per cent to 4.25 per cent. The Army Commander said police personnel should visit Army units and establishments, which would lead to a better understanding of each other’s capability. The state government consented to nominate specific days for the defence personnel in RTO offices in other districts of Haryana as have been sanctioned at Panchkula, Ambala and Hisar. Concessions would be offered to group housing schemes of Army. The Chief Minister sanctioned additional Rs 75 lakh for the Army Industrial Training Institute located at Ambala.

Lieutenant General Ghosh sought cooperation of the state government for allocation of land in lieu of defence land acquired by the government. He made a request for land for welfare housing projects and allied facilities at subsidised rates. He also proposed that the Pinjore Flying Academy be jointly utilised by the state government and Army in view of the high capital costs involved in development of aviation infrastructure.

LATEST NEWS ONE RANK ONE PENSION FOR EX-SERVICEMEN

DEMAND FOR ONE RANK ONE PENSION FOR RETIRED ARMY PERSONNEL 

The ex-servicemen Associations have been demanding for several years grant of same pension which is granted to new pensioners with same rank and same length of service irrespective of date of retirement, popularly known as "One Rank One Pension" (OROP). The differentials in pension between the past and the new retirees arise on account of the fact that the computation of pension depends on the pay scale of the person at the time of retirement and pension undergoes change as and when the pay scales are revised.

Their requests have been considered by the Government and over the years several improvements have been made in pension of past pensioners in accordance with the recommendations of successive Pay Commissions, as accepted by the Government. The Cabinet Secretary Committee constituted by the Government of India to look into the demand of OROP and related issues gave seven recommendations to reduce the gap between past and current pensioners. All the seven recommendations were accepted and implemented which has significantly reduced the gap between the past and present pensioners and also considerably improved the pension of disabled ex-servicemen. However pension reform is a continuous process.

This information was given by Minister of Defence Shri A.K. Antony in written reply to Shri T.M. Selvaganapathi in Rajya Sabha today. 


Source : Public information bureau -Ministry of Defence dt 28 Mar 2012

HH/RK
(Release ID :81836)

Mobile Polyclinics for Ex-Servicemen

Providing Medicare to Ex-servicemen and their dependents is an ongoing process and the endeavor of the government is to continuously upgrade the quality of medicare services being provided. The Government has approved opening of additional 199 polyclinics including 17 mobile polyclinics besides the existing 227 polyclinics to improve accessibility of Ex-servicemen to medical facilities. Out of 199 polyclinics, 43 polyclinics have already been operationalised.  Opening of new polyclinics is based on the ESM population in a particular area. Mobile polyclinics are proposed for remote/hilly areas where the ESM population is less and scattered. Presently 342 districts have been covered with 426 ECHS polyclinics (270 operational & 156 proposed) including 17 mobile polyclinics. The newly sanctioned polyclinics will be operationalised across the country including Himachal Pradesh in a phased manner over a period of time.  This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Shri MM Pallam Raju in a written reply to Shrimati Viplove Thakur in Rajya Sabha today.  HH/NN  (Release ID :81342)

ECHS Facilities to Ex-Servicemen

ECHS Facilities to Ex-Servicemen

The Government has sanctioned 426 Polyclinics for Ex- Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS). 227 Polyclinics were sanctioned in the year 2002, all of which are functional. Due to increasing ESM population an additional 199 Polyclinics including 17 Mobile Clinics were sanctioned in October 2010, out of which 43 Polyclinics are operational, thus at present 270 Polyclinics are functioning. In addition the Government has sanctioned 15 new Regional Centers to strengthen the ECHS Services, out of which 6 Regional Centers are already functional. As on 1st March, 2012, there are 39,46,898 beneficiaries which include 12,34,069 ex-servicemen and 27,12,829 dependents. The ECHS beneficiaries can avail treatment at state Government hospitals/Clinics. The cost of treatment at Government hospitals is reimbursed at the approved rates and 80% advance of the estimated cost of the treatment at Government hospitals/Clinics is admissible to the ECHS beneficiaries.  At present 1383 Private hospitals/Dental Clinics/Diagnostics Centers and Eye clinics throughout the country are empanelled with ECHS, where the ECHS beneficiaries can avail cashless treatment. In emergency cases, reimbursement is made at approved rates, even for treatment in non-empanelled hospitals.  This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Dr MM Pallam Raju in written reply to Shri Virender Kashyap and Shri Kuldeep Bishnoi in Lok Sabha today.  HH/NN/RK  (Release ID :81642)

NEW DA FROM JAN 2012

CABINET APPROVES 7% HIKE IN DEARNESS ALLOWANCE...

UNION CABINET APPROVED A PROPOSAL TO HIKE ADDITIONAL DEARNESS ALLOWANCE BY 7% FOR CENTRAL STAFF AND CENTRAL GOV. PENSIONERS. THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT ON FRIDAY APPROVED A SEVEN PER CENT HIKE IN DEARNESS ALLOWANCE TO CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AND PENSIONERS, THIS HIKE IS TO BE EFFECTIVE RETROSPECTIVELY FROM JAN 2012.

THE DEARNESS ALLOWANCE AND DEARNESS RELIEF FOR CENTRAL GOVERNMENT SERVING EMPLOYEES AND PENSIONERS WILL INCREASE FROM 58% PER CENT OF BASIC EMOLUMENTS TO 65% PER CENT WITH EFFECT FROM 1.1.2012.

INTERIM ANTICIPATORYBAIL TO FORMER VICE CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF

Ex-army vice chief gets interim anticipatory bail

Asseem Shaikh.

The court of special judge D R Mahajan on Wednesday granted an ad interim anticipatory bail to former vice chief of army staff Lt Gen Noble Thamburaj, till March 28, in the case pertaining to his alleged involvement in a defence land lease case. The bail order states that Thamburaj, in the event of his arrest, shall be released on a personal bond and surety bond of Rs 30,000 with one or two sureties of the like amount. The court has directed Thamburaj not to leave Pune and cooperate with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) whenever he is called for questioning. The CBI, Pune unit, is being served a court notice seeking its written submission on Thamburaj’s bail plea, which is to be heard next on March 28. On January 30, the Army Headquarters, New Delhi, had registered a complaint with the CBI alleging that Thamburaj, who was then General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Command in Pune, and former defence estates officer S R Nayyar extended undue favour to a construction firm, Kalpataru Builders, in the matter of leasing a bungalow on a prime defence land in the Pune cantonment.

The matter relates to a 0.96 acre piece of land at bungalow no 8-A, survey no. 241-A, Lothian road, in the Pune cantonment. The land was leased to the construction firm. The CBI complaint stated that in doing so, Thamburaj and Nayyar ignored the existing rules and policies and violated the terms of lease. The Army Headquarters sought registration of offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal misconduct in the matter. On January 31, CBI teams had carried out searches at the residences of Thamburaj and Nayyar and the office of Kalpataru Builders in Koregaon Park. Thamburaj moved the court on Wednesday for an anticipatory bail in the matter through his counsel, Sudhir Shah. The court passed the ad interim anticipatory bail order in an ex-parte hearing process.

Army jawan’s widow wins battle

Army jawan’s widow wins battle that he couldn’t

About 49 years after her husband was discharged from the Army and nine years after he passed away, the widow of an Army jawan has been sanctioned familypension even though her husband never got his post-retirement benefits.

It was only after the death of Sep Gurdayal, an Army Ordnance Corps reservist from Gurdaspur, in 2003, that his widow Piaro, took up the case afresh with the Army authorities and the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions) for the grant of reservist and family pension. Gurdayal had taken up the case for his pension earlier, but to no avail.

The sanction of pension came without the family members having to seek judicial intervention. It was largely through the efforts of a serving colonel posted in the Western Sector, who assisted the family with paperwork and procedural matters, that the widow got her benefits.

Besides getting a pension of Rs 6,000 per month in accordance with current Pay Commission rates, she has also got arrears of pension since 1963, when her husband was discharged. The reservist pension at that time was just Rs 10 per month.

According to a letter written by the Army Ordnance Corps (AOC) Record to the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts, Gurdayal was enrolled in the AOC in June 1947, when he was only 15 years old.

His service with the Regular AOC was extended till July 1958, following which he was transferred to the reservist establishment.

In 1963, he was invalided out of service on medical grounds.

His total service, including boy service when he did not complete 16 years of age, worked out to be 15 years and 213 days. According to Defence Ministry regulations issued in 2002, boy service is to be counted towards fixing pensionary benefits.

THE FIGHT AFTER SERVICE

* Sep Gurdayal, Army Ordnance Corps (AOC) reservist from Gurdaspur, was enrolled in the AOC Record in June 1947 at the age of 15 years.
* His service with the Regular AOC was extended till July 1958.
* He was later transferred to the reservist establishment
* In 1963, he was rendered invalid on medical grounds
* He applied for pension, but to no avail
* After his death in 2003, his widow took up the case afresh
* She has been sanctioned a pension of Rs 6,000 pm, besides arrears since 1963

-via Tribune India

NEW BUDGET 2012 FOR DEFENCE

Defence budget shoots up 17%

MOST OF TODAY’S PAY AND ALLOWANCES CONSTITUTE TOMORROW’S DEFENCE PENSIONS

Military spending has gone up by 17 per cent, or Rs 28,992 crore, to Rs 1,93,407 crore in the Budget. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said this allocation was based on the needs projected by the defence ministry.

For 2011-12, the spend was pegged at Rs 1,64,415 crore, an increase of 11 per cent over the previous year. However the three services together returned around Rs 3,000 crore of unspent money. The difference between the Budget Estimate for 2011-12 and the Revised Estimate for the same year was around Rs 3,000 crore.

The capital expenditure of the armed forces — which goes into the purchase of equipment — was set at Rs 79,579 crore, a 15.7 per cent increase from last year’s capital allocation of Rs 69,199 crore. As much as 70 per cent of this amount will go into servicing contracts already signed.

The revenue component of the defence budget amounts to Rs 108,369 crore. This part of the Budget, that goes into paying salaries, was Rs 90,767 crore in the Budget Estimate, but was Rs 99,762 in the Revised Estimate.

Commenting on the ballooning revenue under the defence budget, Laxman Behera, research fellow at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses, said, “Pay and allowances are obligatory in nature and the government has little control over their growth, given the mandatory annual increases. Moreover, MOST OF TODAY’S PAY AND ALLOWANCES CONSTITUTE TOMORROW’S DEFENCE PENSIONS — again something over which the government has little control. The growth in these two components has implications for other aspects of the defence budget.”

On the capital side, India is on the verge of signing a $20-billion contract for 126 Rafale medium multirole combat aircraft, apart from a $600-million deal for 75 Pilatus PC-7 basic trainer for Air Force. However, the outlays indicate that the final go-ahead for this expenditure might be rolled over to the next financial year.

The Air Force, which is buying the Rafale, was allotted Rs 22,000 crore in 2011-12; the revised estimates shows it has spent just about Rs 18,000 crore. The outlay for 2012-13 is Rs 23,000 crore.

Several artillery purchases for the army are also due; for instance, the proposal to buy 145 ultra-light Howitzers from the US under a government-to-government sale.

-via Business Standard