M A I N   N E W S

IAF reopens doors to retired pilots
Raises service age by two years
By Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 11 — Almost a year after the IAF decided not to extend the tenures of re-employed officers in its flying branch, it has re-opened its doors to superannuated officers opting to continue serving with the force.

Besides, the upper age limit for re-employed officers can serve has been enhanced by two years. A signal in this regard has been received for the Air Headquarters by the Chandigarh Air Force Station.

Sources say as per the signal, re-employed officers can now serve till they attain the age of 58. Earlier, they were eligible to serve till the age of 56. Their service contract has to be renewed annually.

The age of flying branch officers who can seek re-employment has also been increased from 53 to 54. However, officers who have sought pre-mature retirement are not eligible to seek re-employment.

As a result of “surplus” officers in the flying branch and “non-availability of suitable vacancies” following the general two-year increase in service, the IAF had decided not to extend the tenures of re-employed officers in the new millennium. Consequently, about 70 re-employed officers had to hang up their uniforms on January 1, 2000, with another batch of about 88 following suit on June 30. Some of them still had age in their favour.

Re-employed officers, who are mostly in the rank of Wing Commander and Group Captain are posted against vacancies in administrative appointments at operational bases as well as staff appointments at headquarters. Where eligible, they are also posted in operational squadrons on active flying duties.

Till 1999, the IAF had a strength of 325 re-employed officers, which helped make up for deficiencies in the officer cadre. The decision to do away with re-employed officers had then raised a controversy as the IAF was still facing an officer shortage because of an increasing number of pilots as well as ground duty officers, particularly in the junior rung, seeking pre-mature retirement.

Moreover, transport squadrons, where re-employed officers are posted on active flying duties were reportedly functioning with 85-90 per cent of their authorised pilot strength. The non-extension of tenures had left several IAF installations struggling to fill key posts which re-employed officers had been occupying.

This had resulted in regular officers holding the requisite rank and experience being pulled out of operational squadrons, which in turn had an effect on the squadron’s functioning.

MC staff pocket rites money
1500 die unclaimed in Haryana per year
From Raman Mohan

HISAR, Nov 11 — When John Donne wrote Death Be Not Proud, he would never have imagined the title of his famous Ode to Death, would, one day aptly describe the fate of the1500 unfortunate persons who die in Haryana every year away from their homes and have their bodies labelled as unclaimed.

Their bodies are burnt simply by pouring kerosene and discarded engine oil over them and the ashes are thrown in garbage. The ghastly cremation is the result of greed on the part of municipal employees who corner most of the Rs 825 the local bodies concerned give them for cremating an unclaimed body. However, the ashes are consigned to garbage dumps because there is no provision for immersing these in a holy pond or even a nearby canal. So, after three days, their ashes become part of a town’s filth.

Investigations by The Tribune reveal that on an average about 1500 persons meet such lonely deaths in the state every year. In Hisar alone as many as 60 to 70 such bodies are disposed of in this manner annually. The Municipal bodies are legally responsible for cremating unclaimed bodies for which they sanction Rs 825 per body.

Of this, the Municipal employees who are entrusted with the job are supposed to buy nine mounds of firewood (costing about Rs 360) and a shroud for Rs 100. They are required to supply the bills for both items. The amount also includes Rs 240 paid to them for acting as pallbearers.

However, The Tribune found that the body is generally carried to the cremation ground on a ramshackle cart and simply thrown in a cremation pit. The Municipal staff buy a few litres of kerosene, discarded engine oil and worn out tyres. Generally two tyres are placed under the body and two above it. The oil is poured over it and it is set afire with the help of kerosene. Investigations revealed that this practice is followed all over the State. This speedy disposal saves the Municipal staff anything between Rs 500 to Rs 600 per body.

The story of greed does not end here. The governing bodies of many cremation grounds give one kilo desi ghee and an equal quantity of “havan samagri” for the purpose. The staff corners this too. The involvement of cremation ground staff is evident because they issue the receipts for the wood.

When questioned the attendants of cremation grounds in different towns denied that the bodies were burnt with the help of oil. They maintained that the Municipal staff bought the wood and obtained a receipt from them. However, The Tribune found empty cans of oil and bottles of kerosene instead of desi ghee lying near the spots where such bodies were cremated in different towns over the past three months.

This correspondent also found rings of iron wire in the ashes of one such body cremated here recently. These wire rings are embedded inside the rim of the tyres. The cremation ground attendant failed to explain why the quantity of ashes in this case was much less than those of the other bodies cremated on that day. His pale expression said it all. Similar evidence was found in other towns too.

Further enquiries revealed that there was no provision for immersing the ashes in a holy pond or river. The cremation ground attendants per force dump the ashes in garbage after waiting three days for relatives to claim these. Incidentally, according to Hindu religion ashes have to be immersed in holy water to ensure peace to the departed soul. The government in its wisdom, however, has no use for such religious sentiments.

It is learnt that earlier the ashes of such bodies were wrapped in a cloth and hung to a tree in the cremation grounds. These were then taken to Hardwar by the relatives of others who were cremated there along with the ashes of their own departed relatives. However, this is no longer the case anywhere in Haryana.

A noted social worker now retired said earlier he used to arrange for wood and immersion of ashes of such bodies till a decade back. However, he said he gave up when he found the cremation ground staff and Municipal employees cornered the money.