New Delhi, Jan 10: A Committee on Petitions of the working of the Ministry of Defence has called
for streamlining the system of selection of defence personnel for the
conferment of gallantry awards.
In its recommendations in a case relating to the
non-conferment of Param Vir Chakra on late Major Mohan Singh, who was martyred
in the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, the Committee said, 'The Ministry of Defence
should take immediate remedial measures to streamline the system of selection
of defence personnel for the conferment of gallantry awards in order to obviate
recurrence of such instances in future.'
Late Major Singh’s son Brigadier NB Singh (Retd) had stated in his representation to the committee, that his father was martyred during the Indo-Pak War 1965 but his sacrifice was not attributed to ‘death in action’ by the Army at that point of time, thereby depriving him of gallantry awards. The petitioner has further submitted that after almost 50 years, that is 2014, the Army headquarters had suddenly acknowledged his sacrifices and conceded his death as ‘battle field casualty’.
In a report submitted to Lok Sabha, the Committee said, 'The Ministry of Defence should undertake a fresh exercise on the basis of available records and documents to determine as to whether there was any procedural lapse by the then authorities concerned in recognising the martyrdom of late Major Mohan Singh during the Indo Pak war as 'battle causality' attributable to military service' with effect from 1965”.
The Committee was not convinced with the Defence Ministry’s plea that there was no procedural lapse or irregularity in notifying the self-sacrifice of Late Major Mohan Singh as a battle casualty attributed to Military service in view of the fact that the martyrdom of late Major Singh occurred during Indo- Pak War in 1965 and the same was recognised by the Army headquarters only in November, 2014.
It further said that the Defence Ministry had also failed to produce any documentary evidence before the Committee which could prove that prior to November 2014, any serious attempts were made by the Army to notify the martyrdom of late Major Singh as a battle casualty attributable to Military Service.
The Ministry of Defence had erroneously made the attempt to club the two separate issues, that is, mentioning of wounded in action and have been martyred as stated in the Pension order of 1966 with ‘battle casualty attributable to Military Service, notified in November, 2014, it observed.
'These events proved that the entire process of conferment of gallantry awards to the military personnel was not transparent and the selection committee, at that time acted in arbitrary manner’, it said.
The Committee was satisfied with submission of the Ministry of Defence that they have no role to play in the matter of allotment of dealership of petrol or LPG dealership under the discretionary quota scheme which had been scrapped by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
However, the Committee felt that Brigadier Singh should intimate all the details of dependents of Late Major Singh and fulfill all the requisite formalities required under the rules for issuance of eligibility certificate by the Directorate General (Resettlement).
In his plea before the committee, the petitioner has demanded conferment of the Param Vir Chakra to his father and dependents be suitably rehabilitated with allotment of LPG or petrol pumps under the discretionary quota scheme. UNI
Late Major Singh’s son Brigadier NB Singh (Retd) had stated in his representation to the committee, that his father was martyred during the Indo-Pak War 1965 but his sacrifice was not attributed to ‘death in action’ by the Army at that point of time, thereby depriving him of gallantry awards. The petitioner has further submitted that after almost 50 years, that is 2014, the Army headquarters had suddenly acknowledged his sacrifices and conceded his death as ‘battle field casualty’.
In a report submitted to Lok Sabha, the Committee said, 'The Ministry of Defence should undertake a fresh exercise on the basis of available records and documents to determine as to whether there was any procedural lapse by the then authorities concerned in recognising the martyrdom of late Major Mohan Singh during the Indo Pak war as 'battle causality' attributable to military service' with effect from 1965”.
The Committee was not convinced with the Defence Ministry’s plea that there was no procedural lapse or irregularity in notifying the self-sacrifice of Late Major Mohan Singh as a battle casualty attributed to Military service in view of the fact that the martyrdom of late Major Singh occurred during Indo- Pak War in 1965 and the same was recognised by the Army headquarters only in November, 2014.
It further said that the Defence Ministry had also failed to produce any documentary evidence before the Committee which could prove that prior to November 2014, any serious attempts were made by the Army to notify the martyrdom of late Major Singh as a battle casualty attributable to Military Service.
The Ministry of Defence had erroneously made the attempt to club the two separate issues, that is, mentioning of wounded in action and have been martyred as stated in the Pension order of 1966 with ‘battle casualty attributable to Military Service, notified in November, 2014, it observed.
'These events proved that the entire process of conferment of gallantry awards to the military personnel was not transparent and the selection committee, at that time acted in arbitrary manner’, it said.
The Committee was satisfied with submission of the Ministry of Defence that they have no role to play in the matter of allotment of dealership of petrol or LPG dealership under the discretionary quota scheme which had been scrapped by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
However, the Committee felt that Brigadier Singh should intimate all the details of dependents of Late Major Singh and fulfill all the requisite formalities required under the rules for issuance of eligibility certificate by the Directorate General (Resettlement).
In his plea before the committee, the petitioner has demanded conferment of the Param Vir Chakra to his father and dependents be suitably rehabilitated with allotment of LPG or petrol pumps under the discretionary quota scheme. UNI
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