Inflicting wounds on disabled soldiers

Col J P Singh

One page CBDT circular dated 24th June 2019, has undone a century old service privilege of British era which granted Income Tax (IT) exemption to the disabled soldiers on their pension. However the circular allows IT exemption to those who have been invalided out of service on account of disability attributable to or aggravated by military service. Not only it has inflicted deep wounds on disabled soldiery, it has created tremendous uproar in the public as well as in Parliament. Embarrassed of its action, the finance ministry shared on tweeter account of Nirmala Sitharaman, an unsigned letter of Integrated HQ of MoD, New Delhi. The unsigned tweeted letter states that there is rise in personnel being awarded disability pension even for life time diseases which it considers as a ’cause of worry’. The said letter blames some unscrupulous persons for manipulating the system for monetary gains. This is quoted as justification for withdrawing this service privilege. But same alacrity isn’t shown to the case of NFU and anomalies of 5th, 6th, 7th pay commissions and of shortcomings in OROP pointed by one man Justice Reddy Commissioned, presented to MoD years back. That confirms bureaucratic antipathy towards services and my statement that more wounds have been inflicted on the disabled soldiers.
‘Disability pension is granted to those who are disabled during the war, counter-insurgency, militancy or while carrying out military training or professional duties and rendered fully or partially unfit (disabled) due to such condition(s). The disability so caused has to be attributable to or aggravated by the military service for the grant of disability pension which is firstly established by a ‘Court of Inquiry / Board of Officers’ and later confirmed by a Medical Board. Life of a soldier is always at risk. Recent Crash of AN32 in the Jungles of Arunachal, climatic casualties and disabilities in Siachen Glacier, Pulwama type attacks while travelling singly or in convoys, Uri type attacks while serving on the LoC and surgical / Air Strikes across LoC and retaliatory enemy Air Strikes in Rajouri-Poonch sectors resulting in the capture of Wg Cdr Abhinandan are infront of the nation as a mirror. Such hazards cause immense physical and psychological harm to the soldiers and mental worries to the families. That is not the case in civil job.
Ever since NDA govt has taken over, frequency of inflicting wounds on the armed forces has increased. Armed forces are being divested of service privileges and perks on regular basis with impunity and at the same time they are being subjected to greater and greater risks. It is high time that public is made aware of ever increasing animosity, seemingly innocuous, against the services initiated by the govt. To start with, (i) soon after 1971 Bangladesh War, pension of armed forces personnel was brought down from 70 % of the last pay drawn to 50 %. Once the scissors applied, it kept cutting unstopped. (ii) OROP as approved by the previous UPA govt, previous Parliament and recommended by Koshiayari Parliamentary Committee was not given. Instead an adhoc increase was given. Yet a lie is parroted of OROP having been given in full. (iii) Provision of rations to the officers serving in peace stations was withdrawn without realising its implications. (iv) Cantonments and Military Hospitals were thrown open to public sans security considerations. (v) A Director in MoD, lower in status to a Colonel, was equated to a Brigadier and Gazetted Rank status of JCOs was withdrawn arbitrarily. (status-quo restored by Late Manohar Parrikar, then RM and rations to the officers restored by RM Rajnath Singh). (vi) Purchase of cars through CSD was capped at Rs 12 Lac because JCOs/NCOs started buying them; little realising that tomorrow they may be martyred on the LoC, in Kashmir valley or in the Red Corridor. What harm if they drive a costly car in unpredictable lifetime! (vii) IT exemption on pension of disabled soldiers has been withdrawn.
Tax exemption of disability is enjoyed by many civil services without an iota of physical risks as faced by soldiers being on duty 24X7. Ironically disabled soldiers pension will be taxed while unscrupulous tax evasion by taxpayers and IT exemption of disabled civil servants will continue. Even fraud financial and economic activities continue unabated despite GST. What a unique paradox!
I think the bureaucracy is not aware that those who complete their term of engagement and superannuate in LMC are also invalided-out so that they are not re-called or re-embodied for war or natural calamity being LMC. They are debarred promotions during service. However battle casualties are allowed promotions if found medically fit. Other difference between invalided-out/superannuated is; invalided cases even with 1 % disability are entitled to 50 % disability pension whereas superannuated in LMC need minimum 20 % or more disability to get disability pension. Therefore impact of 24 June Circular on existing pensioners in LMC will be empathic ‘status quo’ unless the Govt is determined to snatch the privilege.
Battle casualty Col K N Khajuria, whose father Sahib also a battle casualty of WW -II (Basra-Bagdad) and three times MLA Billawar, was wounded in 1971 war in legs in Shakargarh Sector, where 2Lt Arun Khetarpal got PVC, when his Tank received a direct hit. But he recovered and went on to command Poona Horse despite being battle casualty. On superannuation, he was granted disability pension. Today, while in mid seventies, he is almost bed ridden with swollen and paining legs. With increasing age, legs kept worsening. ECHS and empanelled hospitals treatment didn’t help. With deteriorating legs, family tried many Corporate Hospitals even at prohibitive costs. But for temporary relief, no recovery. With such and other physical disability problems and costly treatment outside ECHS and the taxed pension, it is difficult for disabled soldiers to get best of the treatment. There are far too many disabled soldiers who need highly advanced treatment but can’t afford it due to financial constraints. Instead of taxing their pensions govt should extend more financial help so that disabled soldiers have access to best of the treatment facilities in their old age when disabilities aggravate. I leave it to the countrymen to think whether the govt decision to tax pension of disabled soldiers is right or wrong and support its revocation if considered wrong.
Instead of identifying the unscrupulous elements, if any, and punishing them, the mass punishment inflicted on disabled soldiers is absolutely unethical and inimical. The Government has acted against that segment of society which draws lot of respect across India and hence has invited such negative criticism. Hence public outrage against the decision to tax disabled soldiers pension calls for a review and revocation irrespective of whatever level the decision has been taken.
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