Tag Archives: Jatinder Kaur Tur

Drdo

DRDO makes own rules on pay scales

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Jatinder Kaur Tur,TNN | Jan 14, 2014, 02.34 AM IST

HYDERABAD: Sixteen months after it was pulled up for sanctioning projects without the approval of the government, the Hyderabad-based Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has done it again. This time, the premier defence research establishment has amended the pay scales of its employees on its own in violation of the rules and without the approval of the Union finance ministry.

Documents in possession of TOI show that DRDO amended or upgraded the Grade Pay of Technical Officer ‘A’ from Rs 4,600 to Rs 4,800. The defence organization effected the hike in 2009 with retrospective effect from 2006 and it came to the knowledge of the Union finance ministry in April 2012 through a query raised under the Right To Information (RTI) Act. A furious finance ministry then held that the order was ‘irregular’ and sought a strong-worded explanation from DRDO. The defence organization was also directed to withdraw the higher pay scale already granted to its Technical Officers.

But what followed was hilarious! In response to the reprimand from the Centre, DRDO reportedly sought retrospective permission for amending the Grade Pay scales. At this, an even furious finance ministry turned down the request in a strongly worded letter saying that the “arrangement was irregular, contrary to the accepted recommendations of the 6th Central Pay Commission (CPC) and in violation of allocation and transaction of business rules since it had been undertaken suo motu without reference, much less concurrence.”

The finance ministry also rubbished the claims of DRDO that this was done to maintain ‘relative hierarchy of Senior Technical Assistants (STA ‘C’) vis-a-vis Technical Officers ‘A’. DRDO was reminded that 6th CPC’s recommendations were aimed at de-layering the government and that ensuring the same ‘relative hierarchies’ as existed before the CPC awards defied the very purpose of rationalisation/standardization of pay scales attempted by successive Pay Commissions. At the end, DRDO was once again asked to withdraw the orders.

And now, DRDO in an attempt to cover up its administrative blunder, has distressed its more than 1,100 such technical officers across its 52 laboratories of which almost 124 promotees have already retired. In December 2013, DRDO not only downgraded these officers of DRDO Research and Technical Cadre, but also asked these officials to appear for special review and assessment and interview schedule in addition to the recovery of money so paid to them.

Meanwhile, the aggrieved officials maintain that it took them five years residential period and rigorous assessment tests to earn technical officers promotions from Rs 4,600 to Rs 4,800 grade. The DRTC Officers Association has reportedly urged defence minister A K Antony to bring the erring officers to book. These officials have been asked to return money to the tune of Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 earned monthly all these years as a result of this increased grade pay.

This was the second instance that DRDO has been found indulging in arbitrary functioning. About 16 months ago, a clandestine audit conducted by the Comptroller General of Defence Audit (CGDA) on the instructions of defence minister Antony, found major anomalies in DRDO’s arbitrary functioning. The defence organization was found guilty of sanctioning projects without government approval etc.

When asked about the developments, DRDO director general Avinash Chander said “while following the orders, the defence organization is trying to find a solution to the problem and issues raised by the technical officers issue.” Dr G Malakondaiah, chief controller, R&D (HR) at DRDO, while refusing to comment upon the orders in the past, said attempts are on to find a way out of the situation stemming out of the technical officers’ pay scale issue.

Curious case of pay hikes

In violation of rules and without the approval of the Union finance ministry, DRDO has amended the pay scales of its employees in 2009

The premier defence research establishment upgraded the Grade Pay of Technical Officer ‘A’ from Rs 4,600 to Rs 4,800 with a retrospective effect from 2006

After coming to know about it in April 2012, the Union finance ministry reprimanded the DRDO and directed it to withdraw the ‘hikes.’ In response, DRDO sought a retrospective permission from the finance ministry instead

A furious finance ministry then held that the order was ‘irregular’ and sought a strong-worded explanation from DRDO

DRDO in an attempt to cover up its administrative blunder, has distressed more than 1,100 technical officers across its 52 laboratories of which almost 124 promotees have already retired.

Drdo

DRDO takes finance ministry for a ride again

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Jatinder Kaur Tur,TNN | Jan 13, 2014, 01.04 PM IST
HYDERABAD: Sixteen months after it was pulled up for sanctioning projects without the approval of the government, Hyderabad-based Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has done it again.

This time, the premier defence research establishment has amended the payscales of its employees on its own in violation of the rules and without the approval of the Union finance ministry.

Documents in possession of TOI show that DRDO amended or upgraded the grade pay of technical officer ‘A’ from Rs 4,600 to Rs 4,800. The violation that happened in 2006 came to the knowledge of the union finance ministry in April 2012, through a query raised under the Right to Information Act. A furious finance ministry then held that the order was irregular and sought an explanation from DRDO. The defence organization was also directed to withdraw the higher payscale already granted to its technical officers.

What followed was hilarious. In response to the reprimand from the Centre, DRDO reportedly sought retrospective permission for amending the grade payscales. At this, an even more furious finance ministry turned down the request in a strongly-worded letter saying that the “arrangement was irregular, contrary to the accepted recommendations of the 6th Central Pay Commission (CPC) and in violation of Allocation and Transaction of Business Rules since it had been undertaken suo motu without reference, much less concurrence.”

The finance ministry also rubbished the claims of DRDO that this was done to maintain ‘relative hierarchy of senior technical assistants (STA ‘C’) vis-a-vis technical officers ‘A’. DRDO was reminded that 6th CPC’s recommendations were aimed at de-layering the government and that ensuring the same ‘relative hierarchies’ as existed before the CPC awards defied the very purpose of rationalization/standardization of pay scales attempted by successive Pay Commissions. At the end, DRDO was once again asked to withdraw the orders.

And now, DRDO in an attempt to cover up its administrative blunder has distressed its more than 1,100 such technical officers across its 52 laboratories of which almost 124 promotees have already retired. In December 2013, DRDO not only downgraded these officers of DRDO research and technical cadre, but also asked these officials to appear for special review and assessment and interview schedule in addition to the recovery of money so paid to them.

Meanwhile, the aggrieved officials maintain that it took them five years residential period and rigorous assessment tests to earn technical officers promotions from Rs 4,600 to Rs 4, 800 grade. The DRTC Officers Association has reportedly urged defence minister AK Antony to bring the erring officers to book. These officials have been asked to return money to the tune of Rs 1000 to Rs 5,000 earned monthly all these years as a result of this increased grade pay.

This is the second instance where DRDO has been found indulging in arbitrary functioning. About 16 months ago, a clandestine audit conducted by the Comptroller General of Defence Audit (CGDA) on the instructions of defence minister Antony, found major anomalies in DRDO’s arbitrary functioning. The defence organization was found guilty of sanctioning projects without government approval, etc.

When asked about the developments, DRDO director general Avinash Chander said “while following the orders, the defence organization is trying to find a solution to the problem and issues raised by the technical officers’ issue.” Dr G Malakondaiah, chief controller R&D (HR) at DRDO, while refusing to comment upon the orders in the past, said attempts are on to find a way out of the situation stemming out of the technical officers’ payscale issue.

Drdo

India-Israel joint venture to manufacture missiles fails to take off

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Jatinder Kaur Tur, TNN Nov 14, 2013, 12.01PM IST

HYDERABAD: The joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Israeli Aerospace Industry to manufacture Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LR SAM) and Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MR-SAM) has turned out to be a non-starter.

The long range missiles were to have been delivered to the Indian Navy by 2012 while the medium range missiles should be in the Indian Air Force weaponry by 2017. However, both the delivery schedules are way behind schedule and show no signs of meeting them even in the near future.DRDO officials are blaming the lack of progress in the joint venture due to lack of transparency and non-transfer of technology by their Israeli counterparts. And the recent trials that were conducted by the Indian defence organization failed to meet the standards of both the IAF and the Indian Navy. The entire cost of Rs 12,500 crore of the joint venture is being funded by India and the inordinate delay and lack of progress in the project has turned into a big cause of worry in the defence ministry.

According to sources, the LR-SAMs project was commissioned in 2006 and the delivery of the missiles to the Indian Navy should have happened by 2012. Similarly, the MR-SAM venture was signed in 2009 and the missiles are to be delivered to the Indian Air Force by 2017. Both both the projects are way behind schedule and show no signs of making progress.

“Frankly speaking, right now, not much is going on in the joint venture due to various issues between the two sides. Expecting Israel to share its technology with India is unfair. But such things should have been clarified before the joint venture was entered into,” said an official.

DRDO is maintaining that it is because of the lack of transfer of technology that the trials conducted so far have ended up as failures. “Industries are merely getting the drawings as to how to produce certain systems and such things are leading to deviations from the laid down specifications because the knowledge to develop the systems is not being imparted,” said sources.

DRDO officials are also attributing the delay to a complicated and long procedure involving shuttling between India and Israel for various stages of development of a system etc. The Hyderabad-based Indian defence organization also reportedly found itself helpless on problems in propulsion system and other related issues while a significant number of parts or systems are yet to be tested following a delay in manufacturing.

However, when quizzed on the issue, DRDO Director General Avinash Chander told the TOI that nothing was amiss. “Everything is going on as per the plan and development trials are on. We shall be able to deliver the MR-SAMs as per schedule. Right now, the contribution from India in the joint venture project is about 20% and would ultimately reach 80% in the final stages.” Regarding the already delayed LR-SAM, DRDO officials declined to come on record.

MR-SAM, one of the major demands of the forces, is to have a range of 70 kms or so, and the IAF is banking on replacing its ageing Soviet-made Pechora SAM missiles with the MR-SAMs. But nobody is sure how long the wait is going to be, and whether the delivery will take place at all.