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Unattended plight of women officers
It is difficult to explain as to how even after an
unambiguous announcement of the defence minister in the parliament, the
women officers continue to suffer at the hands of callous defence
establishment. If the male bastion is being so stoutly defended then is
it not the responsibility of the political masters to step in punish the
guilty. In its absence women officers would continue to suffer
discrimination and humiliation.
Vipin
Agnihotri
With the
suicide of Capt Megha Razdan once again the defence forces of the
country are being subjected to uncomfortable scrutiny and as the family
of the deceased officer is dead and it may take years for inveblames it
to work-related problems her death has revived the issue of
discrimination against women army officers. It is no secret now that
that have to endlessly battle for equality.
On July 24, 2006, the then defence minister Pranab Mukherjee had
announced in Parliament that there would be no disparity in pay and
allowances between officers, male or female, in army. A letter to this
effect was signed on July 20, 2006. Almost a year after the defence
minister's assurance the letter continued to gather dust and female
officers were still being subjected to extreme discrimination.
As per the above letter, all the serving female officers, inducted
through the Women Special Entry Scheme (WSES), were given an option of
either continuing under the WSES or becoming a part of the Short Service
Commission (SSC). All the lady officers with more than six years of
service opted for the SSCOs as per which they were to be elevated to the
post of major in both rank and perks.
Although they were accorded the promotion but the Controller of Defence
Accounts (CDA), Pune, has still not released the increased salaries to
them.
The defence ministry had given its nod to the above move in the wake of
an uproar caused due to the suicide committed by another lady officer
Sushmita Chakraborty last year allegedly for not getting her dues
cleared.
It was announced that gazette notification for the grant of the
substantive rank of major to the lady officers has been published and
the copy of the same has been dispatched by the AHQ to the paying
authority, which is CDA(O).
It was ridiculous that a male officer with six year's of service was
drawing a major's pay whereas a lady officer with 13 years experience
was still getting captain's pay. Interestingly, even after becoming SSCO,
the lady officers continued to be deprived of a permanent commission
(PC), which was being given to their male counterparts.
Having joined the army through WSES, the lady officers were inducted
only for 14 years of service and were deprived of several benefits,
including the pension for which 20-year service was essential.
Despite working for 14 long years, the lady officers were not given the
rank of Lt Colonel, which was given to male officers after completion of
13 years of service. The lady officers could never be a part of the
permanent commission (PC) jobs.
Two batches of lady officers have already retired and another batch will
be sent home by March next year despite the fact that the Indian army
was witnessing a shortfall of over 16,000 officers. "After spending 14
years in the Indian army we are being sent home. We fail to see that
such dedicated hard working trained and apt soldiers are left to strive
to find their moorings in the civil organizations from the scratch,"
complains a senior lady officer.
Ironically, the defence ministry has also overlooked yet another
initiative, ensuring respectable life after retirement. The Directorate
General (DG), NCC, had recommended that lady officers be inducted as
Whole Time Lady Officers (WTLO) in NCC and serve there till 58 years of
their age. But GOI didn't accept the proposal. Against DG, NCC's
recommendation, the government wanted the NCC to induct lady officers
only for a period of five years (14 plus 5), which could have again
deprived them of pensionary benefits. Even that proposal has fizzled
out.
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