NEW DELHI: Well over a year after the “unauthorised” addition of a few words restricted the scope of “invalid pension” to disabled soldiers boarded out before 10 years of service, the defence ministry is yet to resolve the controversy.
“All civilians, including personnel of central armed police forces (CAPFs), have received benefits from January 2019 itself under the policy but similarly placed disabled soldiers have not,” said a senior Army officer.
Asked about this persisting anomaly by TOI, the defence ministry (MoD) acknowledged its department of ex-servicemen welfare (DESW) had received the Army representation on the issue, which was made first in November last year and has been raised again. “The proposal is under examination in consultation with stakeholders,” it added.
The MoD in July last year had announced “invalid pension” would now also be given to those military personnel boarded out before completing their 10 years of qualifying service due to disability that was “neither attributable to, nor aggravated by military service (NANA)”.
This was in accordance with the original government notification issued by the Union government’s Department of Pensions & Pensioners’ Welfare in February 2019, on prodding by the Supreme Court, for all government servants.
But the crucial line that held physical or mental infirmity “which permanently incapacitates him (or her) for service” before completing 10 years was modified in the subsequent order issued by DESW. The benefit shall be granted for a disability which “incapacitates them from military service as well as civil reemployment”, it said.
The addition of words “as well as civil reemployment” has given leeway to the defence accounts department officials to refuse invalid pension to deserving cases because military medical boards routinely render a certificate to disabled soldiers stating they are ‘fit for civil employment’ in most of the cases.
Invalid pension was earlier granted to only those military personnel who had more than 10 years of service and were boarded out on account of disability under NANA. If the service rendered was less than 10 years, only “invalid gratuity” was paid to the soldiers.
NEW DELHI: Well over a year after the “unauthorised” addition of a few words restricted the scope of “invalid pension” to disabled soldiers boarded out before 10 years of service, the defence ministry is yet to resolve the controversy. “All civilians, including personnel of central armed police forces (CAPFs), have received benefits from January 2019 itself under the policy but similarly placed disabled soldiers have not,” said a senior Army officer. Asked about this persisting anomaly by TOI, the defence ministry (MoD) acknowledged its department of ex-servicemen welfare (DESW) had received the Army representation on the issue, which was made first in November last year and has been raised again. “The proposal is under examination in consultation with stakeholders,” it added. The MoD in July last year had announced “invalid pension” would now also be given to those military personnel boarded out before completing their 10 years of qualifying service due to disability that was “neither attributable to, nor aggravated by military service (NANA)”. This was in accordance with the original government notification issued by the Union government’s Department of Pensions & Pensioners’ Welfare in February 2019, on prodding by the Supreme Court, for all government servants. But the crucial line that held physical or mental infirmity “which permanently incapacitates him (or her) for service” before completing 10 years was modified in the subsequent order issued by DESW. The benefit shall be granted for a disability which “incapacitates them from military service as well as civil reemployment”, it said. The addition of words “as well as civil reemployment” has given leeway to the defence accounts department officials to refuse invalid pension to deserving cases because military medical boards routinely render a certificate to disabled soldiers stating they are ‘fit for civil employment’ in most of the cases. Invalid pension was earlier granted to only those military personnel who had more than 10 years of service and were boarded out on account of disability under NANA. If the service rendered was less than 10 years, only “invalid gratuity” was paid to the soldiers.