LT GEN H S PANAG (RETD): Opposition weakened, Modi govt now fears domain expertise of retired security officers
The ‘Pension subject to future good conduct’ rule must be challenged in the courts and in the interim disregarded with contempt. On 31 May, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, which is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, issued a gazette notification amending Rule 8 - Pension subject to future good conduct - of the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules 1972.
The amendment prohibits retired personnel who have worked in any intelligence or security-related organisation included in the Second Schedule of the Right to Information Act 2005 from publication “of any material relating to and including domain of the organisation, including any reference or information about any personnel and his designation, and expertise or knowledge gained by virtue of working in that organisation”, without prior clearance from the “Head of the Organisation.” An undertaking is also supposed to be signed to the effect that any violation of this rule can lead to withholding of pension in full or in part.
There are 26 organisations included in the Second Schedule
of the RTI Act, including the Intelligence Bureau, Research & Analysis
Wing, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Central
Bureau of Iinvestigation, Narcotics
Control Bureau, Border
Security Force, Central
Reserve Police Force, Indo-Tibetan
Border Police and Central
Industrial Security Force. These organisations are excluded from the RTI
Act. Ironically, the armed forces, which are responsible for the external and
at times internal security, are covered by the Act….
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