End Discrimination And Double Standards Towards Defence Civilian Employees – AIDEF To RM Rajnath Singh

The Defence Civilian Employees are a worried lot. They feel neglected by the Defence Ministry when compared to their counterparts in the Railways and other Ministries. Defence Ministry have got more than 11 Lakh soldiers in the Armed Forces and about 3 lakhs Civilian Employees who are working in Ordnance Factories, DRDO, Army, Navy & Air Force. The Defence Civilian Employees are of the view that the importance the Defence Ministry gives for uniformed personnel is not being given to them in all matters.

While there is no ban on compassionate appointment to the Dependents of deceased employees of other Ministries, the Defence Ministry has imposed an artificial ban for compassionate appointment in the Ordnance Factories and now in Army Units also. The Ministry of Defence have proposed to abolish more than 50 thousand Civilian posts.

It is not that the Defence Civilian Employees are unhappy, even the IOFS officers in the Ordnance Factories are also not happy since out of the 7 Ordnance Factory Corporations five Corporations are not having any permanent CMD’s. IOFS Officers are not considered for CMD Post and Director Post. One of the IOFS officer have challenged the PESB decision in not including his name in the short list even though he happens to be the senior.

The High Court has given judgment in his favour. One Senior IOFS Officer requesting anonymity said that when more than 200 SAG Level IOFS Officers are available why the Defence ministry has gone to PESB for selection of CMD and Directors in the Ordnance Factory Corporations. Ignoring IOFS Officers who were selected through UPSC, the PESB is short listing the names of out siders for these high level posts who are much juniors and never worked in Ordnance Factories. The present Boards are temporary and having abolished the IOFS Cadre from the list of UPSC, the Government should have straight away considered the IOFS Officers as CMD’s and Directors. We do not have the strength of Trade Unions and their Federations to fight our case concluded the officer.

This is the fate within 3 years of Corporatization of Ordnance Factories. The Defence Civilian employees have got many issues which are remaining unsettled. Recently, the MOD conducted Trade Union Membership verification through secret ballot and once again AIDEF, the pioneer Federation of the Defence Civilian 0Employees has emerged as the major Federation.

The AIDEF, on 24/11/2024, submitted a protest letter to the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in which they have pointed out 16 major issues where they are discriminated. We accessed a copy of AIDEF letter and the same is published here for the benefit of the viewers of www.indianpsu.com –

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