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Lt Gen Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd)Chairman262, Sector-17A, Gurgaon 122 001Mobile: 09811228878Email: rajkadyan@yahoo.com

MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED BY DEFENCE SERVICES WIDOWSTO THE HONBLE DEFENCE MINISTER

Dear Honble Defence Minister,

There are a large number of Services widow pensioners as part of the overall

Defence pensioners family. In 2009, the Government constituted a committee under theCabinet Secretary to examine One Rank One Pension (OROP) for the defence pensioners.In its report, the Committee did not recommend OROP. However, going beyond itsmandate, it recommended a general enhancement of pension in respect of all defencepensioners other than commissioned officers. When the Committees report waspublished, it came as a great shock to learn that the Defence Services widow pensionerswere left out of this enhancement. Such discrimination against the neediest section ofthe defence society caused great consternation among the widows and defenceveterans. The widows are as much defence pensioners as anyone else and leaving themout lacked both logic and sensitivity on the part of the government.

Chairman IESM wrote to the Honble Prime Minister and the Honble DefenceMinister pointing out this discriminatory treatment and seeking corrective action. The

reply received from the Defence Ministry was family pension is computed withreference to pay scale, it can be improved only if the pay scales are enhanced.Enhancement of pay is not within the scope of govt letter dated 8.3.2010, hence it doesnot cover family pensioners.

The government response makes strange reading. Even in cases where thepension has been enhanced, the revised pension is computed with reference to somenotional pay scale and not actual one. The same yardstick could and should have beenapplied in the case of widows. The (mostly) illiterate and hapless widows cannotunderstand why, when a general enhancement of defence pensions has been effected,the same proportionate increase has not been implemented in their case? Thegovernment should have shown some compassion and grace in dealing with the widows.

Instead, they have used some unconvincing technicality as a prop to deny a justdemand.

When two appeals to the government failed in seeking redress, the widowsdecided to meet (on 12 November 2011) Ms Sonia Gandhi in the hope that she wouldbetter relate to and empathize with their plight. Since she is still not fully recovered toreceive delegations, Ms Sonia Gandhis office requested the widows to meet the HonbleDefence Minister instead. In case the government still fails to respond positively by endof December 2011, the widows are determined to again knock on the doors of Ms SoniaGandhi.

With regards,Yours sincerely,

On behalf of widows

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14 November 2011

Copy to: Mrs Sonia Gandhi