Army court recently reinstated officers sacked over purchase of the beasts of burden
Army court recently reinstated officers sacked over purchase of the beasts of burden
The army is a stickler for excellenceu00a0-- whether it concerns its men, or mules for that matter.
Two colonels discovered this the hard way in 1987. Colonel M Nasiruddin and Colonel MPS Chowhan who were court martialled on charges of several discrepancies in the purchase of mules are now waiting for the government to compensate them appropriately.
After a 19-year-long fight the two officers got respite from the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), which ordered the army to reinstate their ranks with full pensionary benefits.u00a0
In 1987, the army decided to purchase 1147 mules for different locations and constituted a board under Colonel Nasiruddin to oversee the transaction. Several different members were appointed in the board to carry out the purchase under the prescribed norms. Colonel Chowhan was supposed to issue receipt vouchers for the total number of animals purchased and also take care of the papers during the transactions. He was also responsible for making payments as per the receipts.
The board was to select the mules based on the parameters defined by the army for their age, sex, colour, height, descriptive marks and girth measurement. The board carried out the purchase and handed over the animals to a unit based in Hempur, Uttar Pradesh, designated as receiving unit.
But soon all hell broke loose with reports of discrepancies in the purchase, as the mules were found falling short of the prescribed parameters. An inquiry was ordered by the Indian army; the report said that the officers bungled up the procurement and purchased sub-standard mules.
Interestingly, the points of complaints, as mentioned in the final order passed by the AFT, were prepared by a junior ranking officer who later admitted his inexperience.
The AFT also observed that the accused officers were not provided the chance to defend their case and the court martial proceedings took place in their absence. The report, which became the basis of the court martial, talked about the fault in measuring the age of the animals, which is done on the basis of their teeth. But the order passed by the AFT clearly stated, "The inefficiency of the PW1 (the junior officer who prepared the report) is clear from the admission made by him."
"The so called discrepancies which were mentioned in the inquiry report do not exist. The deviation in the height and the age of the mules were well within the limits suggested by the rule book meant for such purchases," said a Ministry of Defence (MoD) official.
Even though AFT has ordered the reinstatement of the ranks of the two colonels and providing them with pensionary benefits, the army is planning to file an appeal against the order in the Supreme Court.
"We would surely appeal against the order and it will happen soon," said another MoD official.
Foot soldiers
Mules play a crucial role in the lives of Indian Army personnel stationed at high altitude regions in Jammu and Kashmir. In order to carry ration, ammunition and other essential supplies at an altitude of 13,000 feet, army turns to mules, since no vehicle can traverse the treacherous narrow path in the regions near the Line of Control. Soldiers accompany mules on their way in order to ensure that supplies reach its destination. Most of the mule owners are from Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
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