Indian Defence Ministry Denies Allegation Of Non-Payment Of Pensionary Benefits To 26/11 NSG Commando

In a press conference today, retired Nk Surender Singh of 2 GRENADIERS and an ex NSG Commando expressed some grievances against the government. These pertained to alleged lack of adequate compensation and financial benefits to those who were killed/injured in the 26/11, Operation Black Tornado in Mumbai. Response with respect to the issues raised is enumerated in succeeding paragraphs.
           
In the 26/11 Mumbai operations, one Officer and one Non Commissioned Officer were martyred and 17 Officers and Other Ranks were injured. Both martyrs Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan and Havildar Gajender Singh were awarded the Ashok Chakra (Posthumous). The NOK of Major Unnikrishnan got a financial compensation of approximately Rs.1.3 Crores and a flat. Similarly, the wife of Havildar Gajender Singh received approximately Rs.1.27 Crore, a petrol pump and a flat. His mother too received Rs.15 Lakhs approximately. Both these personnel also received enhanced pension benefits as applicable in the Army.
           
As regards the injured, there were one Kirti Chakra, two Shourya Chakra, six Sena Medals, one Mention in Despatch and three Chief of the Army Staff Commendation Cards awarded. Four persons with grievous injuries received financial compensation of Rs.4.8 lakh each and others with lesser injuries received Rs.2.3 lakh each.

           
NSG is a deputation organization where personnel from the Army serve for three years and those from the CAPF, for 5 years.  Nk Surender Singh came to the NSG on 9 May 2007. He suffered Acoustic Trauma during the Mumbai operations and became a permanent Low Medical Category on account of Sensory Neural Deafness of the Left Ear. In the normal Course, he would have been reverted to his parent unit 2 GRENADIERS on completion of his three year tenure on 8 May 2010. However, on compassionate grounds, he was retained in the NSG till 15 October 2011, when he was boarded out by a Medical Board at Army Base Hospital Delhi under the aegis of HQ Delhi Area.

Nk Surender Singh has been sanctioned pensionary and terminal benefits viz-a-viz retirement gratuity Rs.2,11,458/-, Commutation of pension Rs.11,35,809/-, Armed Forces PF Rs.6,48,195/-, Army Group Insurance Rs.1,13,849/- and Army Group Disability Cover Rs.10 lakhs, Final settlement of accounts Rs.89,705/- and ex-gratia from welfare fund Rs.10,000/-.  He is also entitled to an ex-gratia compensation of Rs.9 lakhs for 100% disability which will be processed separately.   He has been sanctioned a pension of Rs.25,254/- per month which includes service elements and war injury elements.
 His Ex Servicemen Health Scheme Card has also been dispatched to the Zila Sainik Board, Jhajjar District on 05 October 2012 for handing over to the individual.
           
As regards, financial donations received from various private entities, in accordance with the Service Rules, only contributions to the NSG Central Welfare Fund were accepted.  For financial contributions on individual names, only amounts received for the NOK of the deceased were accepted and paid to the NOK.  Other contributions were returned to the donors in accordance with rules with the proviso that the same be remitted to the NSG Central Welfare Fund.  Therefore, the Cheque of Rs.7 lakh received from Mr. MS Dhoni was for the NSG Central Welfare Fund and was credited accordingly.
           
The Government has taken all care to pay all entitled terminal benefits due to Nk Surender Singh.  In case, he still has any grievance, the Ministry of Defence is prepared to look into it.

India Ordnance Factories staff shortages

Indian defense production suffers as Ordnance Factories face staff shortages.

The India Ordnance Factories, producing defense items, said it is finding it difficult to recruit news workers to replenish its aging shop floor personnel.

Analyzing 2012 recruitment data reveals that the Ordnance Factory Board, which manages 41 factories across India, was only able to fill 5,000 of 12,500 semi-skilled worker vacancies.

Sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, familiar with OFB hiring practices said it is a trend that has persisted for several years.

The government is expressing concern that should such trends continue, it could negatively affect armaments production and has provided more money to fill the vacancies, The Times of India reported.

The Indian Ordnance Factories is an industrial conglomerate operating under India's Ministry of Defense's Department of Defense Production and Supplies, producing arms, ammunition and other equipment for military and civilian applications.

The Indian Ordnance Factories is based at Ayudh Bhawan, Kolkata, and consists of 41 factories, nine training institutes, three regional marketing centers and four regional safety controllers.

India Army goes shopping to replace its small arms

                          Lighter and more lethal guns for soldiers

The army is looking to replace an entire range of small arms used by its foot soldiers with new guns that are lighter and more lethal.

In terms of sheer numbers, the army's plan would translate into buying more than a lakh weapons - a mix of assault rifles, carbines, light machine guns and sniper rifles.

The purchase will come at an estimated price tag of more than Rs 10,000 crore.

The guns are being bought under separate acquisition programmes, which are currently at different levels of a layered process.

The army has been trying to find a replacement for its outlived guns for some time now but without much success.

Army chief General Bikram Singh is hopeful that he would be able to resurrect the projects by providing a fresh impetus.

The most visible sight of a foot soldier carrying the home-made INSAS - slammed for being a poor copy of the Kalashnikov - as standard weapon will fade away in the coming years.

Early next year, the army will begin trials for a new doublebarrel assault rifle.

The competition is among guns manufactured by wellknown global giants Colt, Beretta, Israel Weapon Industries, SIG Sauer and Ceske. Six guns offered by the five vendors have been evaluated for the army's standard infantry weapon in future.

The army is looking for a 5.56mm gun (same as INSAS) as its primary barrel and 7.62x39 (same as AK-56) as its secondary barrel.

The gun will come with a conversion kit so that its configuration can be changed according to requirements in a peace location, and in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in the northeast and Jammu and Kashmir.

If the acquisition process remains on track, the army expects to get the guns by 2014. The government will order 65,000 guns, out of which 59,000 are meant for the army and the rest for the navy.

Part of the order would be shipped directly while the rest would be manufactured by local ordnance factories under transfer of technology.

Around the same time, the army hopes to acquire close-quarter battle carbines as well.

The evaluation has been completed, sources said. The army is looking to buy 40,000 carbines and evaluated guns from Colt, Beretta, IWI and SIG Sauer.

The gun is meant to be used by section commanders. Every infantry unit needs 96 carbines.

While the assault rifles and carbines have been evaluated, the army is still in the process of drawing fresh specifications for new light machine guns (LMGs) and sniper rifles.

At present, it uses the INSAS LMG, which has a range of 700m and weighs 6.23kg.

The army wants to have a new gun which is more lethal, lighter and with a longer range. It will soon finalise the specifications after which bids would be invited from global vendors.

Coming to sniper rifles, the existing Dragunov sniper rifle is outdated, has no bipods and doesn't have a suitable sighting system, said an infantry officer.

The estimated cost of the carbine project is Rs 3,200 crore while the assault rifles are expected to cost Rs 4,800 crore.