800 NAVAL COMMANDERS WRONGED

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            Indian Navy is the finest Service of our prestigious Armed Forces. Prior to the commissioning of the NDA in Khadakwasla in 1954,  an interim training academy known as JSW(Joint Services Wing)  was set up in Dehradoon on 01 Jan 1949. After 2 yrs of training, the top 25 cadets were sent to Dartmouth UK for further 2 yrs of pre-commission training into ‘Indian Navy’. (Adm L Ramdas, VAdm JN Sukul and Cmde SK Bhalla were from this batch -01 JSW).The remaining went to Army and Airforce as per merit. Navy has been a Royale service that can be vouched for by all Naval men. Yet, about 800  Naval  Commanders were wronged by their own senior brother officers in the corridors of power in the Naval Headquarters.   

         In a move to reduce the age profile of commanding officers and to ease rank stagnation at the level of Majors and Lt Colonels, the government in 2004 announced acceptance of major recommendations of Ajai Vikram Singh Committee, that was announced by then Defence Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee.   The Govt accepted all the recommendations put forward to it by AVSC  to "ensure career prospects of army officials and reduce the age at combating level of Commanding Officers." The AVSC recommendations pertained to all three, Army, Navy and Air Force.  As per the recommendations, while the Army and the Air Force promoted their LtCol(TS)/WgCdr(TS)  to Col(TS)/Gp Capt(TS)  on having accomplished 26 yrs commissioned service. But NHQ  alone,  while implementing the AVSC Part I recommendations had introduced an additional clause namely, protecting the’ inter se seniority’ as per Navy List, despite clearing Commander (TS) to Substantive Commanders on 16 Dec 2004. The promotion of all Commander(TS) were put on hold for 11 yrs,  till such time all Select Commanders were promoted to Captain(TS),  protecting their inter se seniority.

        Commander Kshirsagar contested the decision in Supreme Court, graduating from lower courts, but the Naval respondent  got the court’s decision in its favour by the googly of  ‘inter se seniority’. The irony is that there exists ample proof of cases of flouting the ‘inter se seniority’ norms of promotion within the Navy itself. However to garner Judge's sympathy and a favourable verdict the Naval Respondent had committed in the Honourable Supreme Court that  only 237 officers would be affected and rest all shall be promoted, but in effect only 5 officers were promoted in Aug 2016 with loss of seniority, whereas about 1000 Commanders were left in the lurch and made to superannuate as Cdr(TS) from Dec 2004 till Aug 2016. 

         While within the Navy, the protocol issue was not much of an issue, but in the inter-services organisations, the protocol went topsy-turvy. I had been posted to NCC in the sunset years of my Naval Career. The Army and Airforce Officers who had been my subordinates, became my seniors owing to their promotion to Col/GpCapt  Time Scale. I discussed the issue with CNS during his visit to Kolkata in 2009. The CNS mentioned that he shall look into the issue on return. However  the COP, VAdm B had made up his mind against the pleas of Commanders(TS) despite making them substantive Cdrs on 16 Dec 2004. These Commanders were wronged on two counts: ONE -Imposition of negative seniority from the time they were granted TS promotion.  TWO- Not granting them Captain TS, despite they fulfilling the laid down AVSC criteria.

       PRESENT  STATUS:  After all select  Commanders were promoted to Capt(TS) after 26 yrs commissioned service, now all officers are being promoted to Commander  at 13 yrs service and those that miss selection grade to Captain  are promoted to Capt(TS) after 26 yrs of commissioned service.

     EFFECTIVE IMPLICATION: All Officers who continue to superannuate  after  full service (33 yrs)  shall retire as Capt(TS)  and no one shall hitherto retire as Commander beyond 26 yrs commissioned service.

    REPERCUSSION: The OROP stipulates equalisation of pension of the Same rank with the Same length of service. But since there shall be NO Commander retiring beyond 26 yrs commissioned service, what formula shall be worked out for about 1000 Commanders who superannuated with 30+ yrs service? The effect of financial loss would work out to Rs 20,000/ in the first equalisation in 2019 and the loss shall be colossal in next equalisation. This anguish could have been foreseen by NHQ and these affected  Commanders been granted Captain(TS) a day prior to their superannuation/ retirement. But alas !!      

IS  THAT  NOT  GROSS  INJUSTICE  METED  OUT  TO  THESE  COMMANDERS  OF  THE  INDIAN  NAVY  ??  HOW  WOULD  IT  BE RESOLVED  BY  THE  HEADQUARTERS  OF  NAVY  SO  THAT  THEY  ARE  NOT  PENALISED  THEIR  OROP  BENEFITS ??    

        Commander  Sudhir Dua has congregated hundreds of Commanders under one Umbrella to discuss the gross injustice meted out to this group of Commanders.  Commander  KK Trehan and Commander  Sudhir Dua are spear-heading the cause to ensure justice. Hundreds of ‘Redress of Grievances’  have been forwarded to Naval Headquarters. Cdr S Dua has appealed to the fence-sitter Commanders to join the struggle for Justice, by contacting him on mob-8828111408. 

WILL  THESE   COMMANDERS   WHO HAVE BEEN  WRONGED,  EVER SECURE  JUSTICE  FOR  THEMSELVES  ?   

WAY OUT: To scale the impasse  the present  ‘Chief of the Naval Staff’   is requested to grant  Capt(TS)  Rank to the affected Commanders to ensure that they are not bereft of their rightful OROP  benefits and Justice ultimately acquiesces. 

Click on the Link Below to enjoy a relevant  presentation  

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?=RELPUodqM4k&t=6s 

  INITIAL  PRIME  MOVER - CDR RAVI KSHIRSAGAR 

About the Author

Commander Rajinder Dutta (Retd) has been a Naval Pilot and a Qualified Flying Instructor with about 3000 hrs of flying on various fixed wing Aircraft of Indian Navy, viz HT-2, HPT-32, Kirans, Islander, Super Connie, Fokker F-27 and IL-38.

 He is a Master of Ceremonies and a blogger. http://rajdutta26.blogspot.com/