Anil Kaul on what’s cooking in army messes and where things go wrong in the kitchen.
The Axiom that an army marches on its stomach is as relevant today as when Napolean Bonaparte first made this comment — even if now that stomach rides in airplanes, ships, tanks, submarines, and jeeps in every terrain and climate of the country and abroad. In these democratic times, the army takes regular feedback from troops on rations. The results are not happy: only one percent of the respondents grade the food as excellent. Many troops are also not happy with the amount of food they get.
The problem of feeding an armed force engaged in combat, whether in alien territory or on home ground, has occupied the attention of military leaders since the beginning of organised warfare. Leaders learnt that the ability of men to fight was related to the way they were fed and that the answer to the feeding problem often determined victory or defeat.
In a study (PAC Report on chain management in the armed forces 2008) carried out on the quality of supplies in one particular Command of the army, it was found that various items were issued based on repeated extensions given by the concerned Composite Food Laboratory. These were issued even after the expiry of original Estimated Storage Life (ESL). While the DGS&T instructions prohibit any extensions beyond three months of the ESL, wheat flour, sugar, rice, tea, pulses edible oil, etc, were consumed even 6-28 months after the expiry of the original ESL.
The procurement procedure for fresh items of ration was highly non-competitive and fraught with the risk of cartels. Despite the valid registration of 110-222 vendors in the three selected Commands, procurement in 46 percent of the cases was done on the basis of two quotations. In 36 percent cases, contracts were concluded on the basis of a single quotation only. A large number of vendors registered, contrasting with only one or two vendors purchasing tender documents points strongly towards the serious problem of cartelisation.
In Delhi, only one vendor purchased the tender documents and supplied meat worth Rs 5 crore annually. Similarly in Chandimandir, only one contractor responded and bagged the contract for supply of meat with annual order values of Rs 2.34 crore.
A Board of Officers constituted by the Station Commander determines the Average Local Market Rate (ALMR). Prior to opening of tenders, Reasonable Rates (RR) are worked out by a panel of officers for each item and station. In audit, it was seen that the accepted rates were way below the ALMR. The difference ranged from 25-55 percent.
The feedback reporting system of the Army showed that in 68 percent cases the quality of rations was graded as ‘satisfactory’ and below.
Till 1984, only the enlisted soldier up to the rank of a Subedar Major was entitled to these rations. After this date, officers up to the level of brigadier have been entitled to the same and subsequently right up to the level of Chiefs and Army Commanders and their equivalents in the Navy and the Air Force. It was thought that by doing so, the quality and quantity would improve. However nothing of the sort happened because as per the cag report tabled in the Parliament (August 2010 with follow-up action by the Army in January 2011, July 2011 and January 2012), our jawans are fed substandard stuff.
How does this happen? It has to be admitted that the task of providing good food is a challenging one. Since rations are often carried over long distances, they have to be as non-perishable as possible. In the days before the Raj, they collected grain for bread and animals for meat; when on the march, they depended largely on supplies purchased or simply taken from civilian populations. Bread, flour, and wheat were also issued to the units for the soldiers to eat. Records indicate that while some of these supplies were purchased on the open market, others were requisitioned from apparently unwilling sellers.
THE EARLIEST rations of were all-inclusive in purpose. Known as the garrison ration, it served the unit, the small group, and the individual. Moreover, it was intended to serve them in organised messes, in isolated groups, and in individual situations of combat and survival.
In independent India, the Army Service Corps (ASC, the successor of the Royal Indian Army Service Corps), is entrusted with the responsibility of providing rations to the Indian armed forces. The items are divided into two categories, namely, dry and fresh. The Indian armed forces also have a host of Meals Ready to Eat (MRE). The shelf life of the ration is 12 months. India has adopted retort processing technology for combat rations. These are provided to the armed forces at an annual cost of Rs 1,440 crore. The ASC and Army Purchase Organisation (APO) manage the supply chain of rations through Army Supply Depots.
The existing procedure for provisioning of dry rations has, however, failed to assess the requirement realistically. The failure was mainly due to systemic deficiencies due to which different quantities were worked out at different echelons applying different parameters. Opening stock balances adopted at different levels for demand projections differed substantially.
Many of the national federations and PSUs contracted to supply dal and tea failed to supply them. These were then procured locally and the army incurred an extra expenditure of Rs 30.06 crore to meet the shortage.
Apart from being unwieldy the existing practice of procuring atta by grinding of wheat purchased from FCI is uneconomical in comparison to the cost of branded atta readily available in the market. The army was incurring an estimated additional expenditure of Rs 25 crore annually, besides maintaining a detachment of personnel at each mill, to continue this old-fashioned system.
So supply of rations is clearly one of the areas in which misuse of government funds must be probed. Till then, I bow with due respect in front of ordinary soldiers, sailors and airmen for showing patience, in marching on stomachs rumbling due to hunger or third-rate food.
Kaul, a retired officer, is the author of Better Dead Than Disabled.
-via Tehelka
vk might be an officer in air force but narrowness of his thoughts and mean mindedness is clearly reflected in his articles. This gentalman seems to be frausted and does not like to see his subordinates.His knowledge about retired people is very poor. There are so many K P singh from JCO /ORS WHO HAVE DISTINGUSHED THEMSELVES in different fields in civil after retirement, for your kind information Mr. Anna Hazare is also retired from army as an Naik and there so many others.It is baseless to reply about your silly things like saluting, not able to write application in Hindi etc. You are so poor in knowledge that you do not know the the air craft the which pilots are flyng are highly maintained by ORS only.Fighting war is a team work neither officers nor ORSalone can do any thing.Here we are talking equyility in ration and clothing only not in pay scale. What is the problem to you ? if an airman gets equal ration to officers thouth it will not be possible till the time people like u are there at top. Please read some godd books written by grear authers, pl do not get frausted only on some ones comments it will take another hundred years to get equality for all in armed forces becouse people like you are in majority. Thanks Mr. VK
I Fully Agree With you Hoshiyar Sir,Nice to know about such balanced views from The Golden Old Lots. I do not Understand Why Stereotype People Like VK still think that We the “Jawans” are foolish people with no Values in life and are not in favour of achieving things and always think that the World owes to us. I dont Think he is an Air Force Officer. He may be an army officer who is dis-grunted with the Welfare of jawans in his unit.His Words oozes out the temperament of the bygone british era. In a way i think India’s two-class Army, divided rigidly between sahibs and men, ill-reflects the social realities of the country today.The recruitment of Officers is done at a much younger age than it is done in any other democracies all over the world and Their subsequent in-house education at the academy submerges those young men in the military’s colonial-era culture.but times have changed so people like VK seldom understand the changed values and aspirations of the soldiers serving under their command ultimately they are product of the feudal landscape which used to be the condition in Raj era. A clear mistake It doesn’t exist any more — but few Sahibs remain. i think it will take some time for Officers to understand that the Intellectual Gap between the “Sahibs” and the “ORs” are lessening every passing day if not the Financial one. Its time when they start considering us Men with some grey matter rather than just “Manpower” or “Children of Lesser Gods”.
Adios..
I sit on a man’s back, choking him and making him carry me, and yet assure myself and others that I am very sorry for him and wish to ease his lot by all possible means — except by getting off his back.
——-LEO TOLSTOY, What Then Must We Do?
“The ignorance of the oppressed is strength for the oppressor.”
― A.R. Bernard
VK,
i personally do not feel that the SSB is the epitome of life of a JAWAN and the “SAHAB” a God. There are far more better and happier things to do in life. I will like to inform you that every “Jawan” is not the same like the way you perceive them due to your mindset. Just because someone is “enlisted” never warrants you to demean his character or his capability,potential or the will to achieve greater heights. i have gone through your posts and found you are vehemently against equality but i must say administrative hierchy should be maintained but in a healthy and professional manner. But people like you tend to forget that and drag the same in you day to day dealings with the “Jawans”. No One stops us to compete ,and people who meet the caliber do get selected and mark their name. Going back to history, in the Raj era british never gave the equal status to Indian Officers and always treated them low but thankfully we have unshackled those chains but you comment on ACC like meherbani ka commission and all that reminds me that you seriously need to unshackle your own stereotype thinking. Talking about Gallantry Awards,Tell me something Is a Gallantry Award given to a Officer or a Jawan is any Different . You state ACC Officers never get Awards but the Basic Building Blocks aka Jawans are never behind to face the enemy in war or peace. Just remember Dont Treat “Jawans” as Children of Lesser Gods. About one of the Favorite comments of yours about the “ATM STANDING EX-JAWANS”, if you go deep into the affair the security agencies recruiting the retired jawans is mostly run by a retired Colonel or brigadier and more than trusting anyone else he trusts the Jawan even in the Civil realms of life. Dont Mock at Someone’s Poor Condition and generalise a whole group.I guess your salad days in the Academy was also carved by a “jawan” called USTAD (Drill Sergeant). There were days when we used to read about Officers who lead and about jawans who could die for their officers but in present,Scenario is Different. The latest one was the Case in NYOMA ..Where things went out of hand of the officers and They got what they never expected, Total failure of Leader Ship. Such examples are many. Bottomline is please remember A Jawan has learnt and now knows what it really means by “Jus ad bellum” and “Jus in bello”.
“Within a system which denies the existence of basic human rights, fear tends to be the order of the day. Fear of imprisonment, fear of torture, fear of death, fear of losing friends, family, property or means of livelihood, fear of poverty, fear of isolation, fear of failure. A most insidious form of fear is that which masquerades as common sense or even wisdom, condemning as foolish, reckless, insignificant or futile the small, daily acts of courage which help to preserve man’s self-respect and inherent human dignity. It is not easy for a people conditioned by fear under the iron rule of the principle that might is right to free themselves from the enervating miasma of fear. Yet even under the most crushing state machinery courage rises up again and again, for fear is not the natural state of civilized man.”
― Aung San Suu Kyi, Freedom from Fear
If the food is so bad for ORs and airmen they why do more than 90% lose weight when they come back from leave looking starved.Another issue is over welfare in the forces leading to a mindset of Equality in everything by many PBOR.A justice and his reader or munshi are not equal. A constable who has come into the Police force is not equal to a direct ASI and a direct ASI is not equal to a DSP who is not equal to an ASP,It is only in forces that a ioth pass ( or even less)Jawan want everything to be equal.He cannot write a proper application in Hindi forget about English-if he has to sign anything official he never puts the date even if a place is earmarked for the date.Yet he wants equality in everything.I have been reading all these articles and would like to bring to notice of all concerned that the poor jawan image being put out in many articles is far from the truth.You give a jawan a slight laxity he will seel fuel,ration,remove light bulbs from lines ,taps from bathrooms,pilfer regimental stores,et etc ,One can go on and on.Equality is OK if there is a compressed wage structure and all entry is standard .In a hierarchical structure equality is amongst equals and not across the board. as per Supreme Court of India rulings.Why do most of them stand with a personal weapon at an ATM for a measly three thousand rupees if they are so competent.All notions about injustice vanish quickly after retirement because there is no one to listen
hi
it is wrong , that airman those who come back from leave they are become weight less, I know so many airman who are too obese and running and doing exercise to reduce the weight . And we are speaking the natural justice , one man can afford 250 gm rice and wheat and 200 gm of meat and its vegetables in a one meal , even he is a men or officer same only his stomach accepting level .And this all are come from tax
payer’s money , if officer is so rich why he is taking free rations ?And here it is not payment or job , here it is food all are equal in front of food and God .
Please look into developed country’s forces , like US, Russia , Israel or any other government sector .in food all are equal .
And I can understand VK wants old colonial forces , or company army type treatment , there all officer’s are British , and Indians are bottom, so they made JCO to manage them . In world only in India , Pak, Bangladesh you can see this rank . no were else .So we are in modern India and think like 21st century’s man , and think that tax payes money
should not be looted by so called “o”, let poor man to be enjoyed . And matter of corruption it is to be dealt by the law .even he is sepoy or
generals , we all ways hearing top corruptions only .
In Air Force it is only the Officers who do the fighting-no airman even moves on exercise.You air force people even have a problem saluting.your jobs are much easier to Central Police organisations.u you have no exercises.or no move as a body of troops.Ur living areas are poorly maintained and as far as you airmen are concerned they do not ever go for aid to civil power or IS duties .It is not free rations it is entitled rationsas officers are also entitled rations friend.
Even in Army officers lead from the front.One who talks of other countries should have joined those forces -who invited you to Join Indian AF.Look at your own written English and you want equality in everything why didn’t you qualify for the Officers Exam or appear in Civil services if you were too good to be an airman>Once you guys get out of the forces and stand at ATMs for Rs 3000 then u stop asking for equality with the managers.How many airmen are killed in action and how many have got a gallantry award till date and you want equality in everything.
see , in democratic country majority is authority , and fighting is done by only officers ? too poor idea about AF, I hope it is collective team work .Now i could come to know your mind set , so only one rank one pension is “only for PBOR” is written by the Govt of India .Because they knows your attitude , I hope under your section all men will cry . What a OLQ you have got ?So out side the force all are asking for ex service man only ,AT ATM some poor fellow may stand and do the job for their belly ,with honesty they may eat 3 times chappahies ,but they will not do any tetra deal , helicopter scams , other cliques wife is raped , etc
And so called”O” are afried to come out of the forces , because they cant survive out side the world .
please read the oath of Officer once again .
Officers are doing well in all spheres of activity outside.So don’t say officers are afraid to come out as they appear for interviews you will never be called for.You can go and see in many companies,for you information KP SIngh of DLF was a former Major in the Army.In Air force the Fighting is done by officers only Ahuja died in Kargil and Nachekita was talen PW not some airman.In Mig crashes only pilots died.First learn military matters and learn to salute your superiors which you AF ORs are reluctant to do.Forces are not run on one man one vote for that please stay and fight panchayat elections in your area,why ru guys entitled free clothing and bot officers,why are you entitled as many number of concession vouchers and officers only six-why no PBOR says officers should also get similar entitlement.No one stopped you from competing.The fact is that you guys want equality in everything.As regards discipline who is involved in raping/telling girls they are officers when they are not falsely enticing girls.You guys are no angels or Becharas
hello vk,
free ration is free ration only and it is comes from the tax payers money ,rather one kind of Mersey from them or poor Indians.And it is started from 4th pay commission .(1986 onwards ),
you take the examples of Kargil war , in that one Mig 21 bis , and one mi 17 helicopters were we lost , in that 2 pilots and 5 airmen we lost , one squadron Leader Ahuja , Sgt Sahoo, Sgt perumal and 3 others airman aircrew were there .so “sahid” to be respected as “sahid” .
For 1 aircraft is getting ready one squadron personnel are behind this action , we feel we all are one , out side of organization may feel pilot is everything ,it is just like the driver of the truck /car does everything ?it is a team work behind that ,Technicians are behind that , logistics, HR, security , INT, ATC work , electrification , ground crews,meteorological departments , aircrews, stewards,base ops personals , radar unit personnel , mof personnel, even chowkidars , are involved in this actions .vk please understand that organization .
vk , when you personnel are getting to problems in calamity’s, this airman only doing the food dropping activity ,airlifting etc and in 26/11 our Garud commando , navel commando force were deployed.it was a collective operation by the MI 17 IV team,NSG etc .are you ever heard about ARC?not knowing then learn the things ,how it is managed .
regarding the equality , it is promised by Indian constitution to all Indians .
regarding the payments of ex-serviceman guards are given in the director general of retirement websites , please see that and write . I hope it is 13000/- wef 01.Nov.2012onwords , and bonus ,pf, esi ,ot, national holidays payments etc , for a gunman 13000×1.25 =16250, supervisor 13000×1.5 =19500, for aso 13000×2=26000/-And in Bangalore city we are not getting enough ex-serviceman for duty .And with their pension around 10 k or more and other incomes they may get around 25 k , with this honest money they are living respectable life in civil society .Definitely they cant go for wife swapping parties in O/mess, but middle class personals are very strict on their characters, if any black spot comes they may commit suicide .Here no junior will serve his spouse to his boss . No light off practice in the parties .Because they are poor Indians. this only difference of officer and gentleman . and some “o” are working in company with big names like director of operation with 22 k , admin felicity manager with 20 k , security officer with 20 k etc also available in markets. Even we are not interested hire them becouse of they wont work at all, but poor airman will work and do better way , so we used to hire them.
vk , i hope you enjoying the light off party’s, 3 some , group …. etc , but poor airman can’t think about this .
regarding conses ion voucher , being a “o” you got 6 sets of CV in a year and still you wants more , vk think about poor Indian citizen who cant get 20 rs in hand , and with their tax money you want to enjoy . your thinking is worse than politicians……..
vk ,after all we are Indians be a good human being then you can prove as good “O”
with regards
Indian
The Correct Word is “Sell” not seel as posted by you. Not expected from someone who preaches his own “O” level impeccable English.The Problem with your kind of people is, you will never come out of your dilemma and false sense of pride. You seem to suffer from the “Imperial Hangover” left after the Raj. I am surprised the way you have generalised a whole segment of people. It is a false notion that only Officers dies in Battlefield. Please refer statistics and above all a soldier who dies in the battlefield is a ” Shahid” more than a Officer or a Jawan. You say when you give laxity, Jawans tend to steal ration etc. Its irony to say so after all the Tatra and Adarsh scam is out. Sirji the Cat is out of the Bag. LOL. Well deserving Jawans do make it to the Officers cadre. ACC entry and other Similar entries are a proof to it. As you have Mentioned IAF, I have something to share with you, Ever heard of AVM Harjinder Singh ..NO Ok
Little Information:- Harjinder Singh joined the Indian Air Force (IAF) as a Hawai Sepoy (Air Soldier), a rank lower than that of a soldier eventually He got commissioned in the Royal Air Force on 03 Sep 1942. One of his many initiatives was the construction of an aircraft at IAF Station Kanpur in early 1958. He was an engineering genius who had a vision ahead of his time. He rose to the rank of Air Vice Marshal from Hawai Sepoy and became the first Commander-in-Chief of the prestigious Maintenance Command and then i leave the Example of Corporal Adolf Hitler in your hands.
Bottomline is i am really happy not to serve under you. Bye the way i did gain weight on the Last Leave.
Adios..
who stopped u from competing and appearing in a better entry examination.In a manpower intensive force there will never be equality.U guys forget equality when u go out only in forces u want equality.why no peon in irrigation dept becomes Chief Engineer.No cop becomes IG because no meharbani entries aka ACC exist there or even in BSF so stop bosting about them.Se the gallantry award list no ACC entry ever not even one and none posthumously till date so this and record officers are all backdoor commissions let the Govt have all rankers becoming officers in all three services and see what happens.Because of these maherbanis you think of equality all the time -then compete and stop thinking the world owes you everything .
Hello vk ,
In Air force skilled man power never stick into Air force due to high technological exposure to of job, and less payments , hard working schedule , treatments ,etc. for the examples while doing the recruitment process in air force they will select high IQ personnel for this job, and they may be completed the diploma streams from Polytechnic collage .And after the 4 years of training in missile systems , propulsion systems ,radar systems, communication systems , they are passing out to do the jobs. Their counterparts in civil organization they will be called technical assists and with in 5 years they will be promoted as technical officer and with in 25 years of services they will be in PB 4 pay band.. And if they joined in any airlines they will be much more than this PB-4 range.
While doing the services they study well and getting AMIE exams cleared , equivalent to the BE, some time MTech ,MBA, or more than that and some times they may go for Director General Civil Aviation certification examination , then they can do repairing of all aircraft etc . In Air force they may be posted to fixed wing A/c , like Dorniar , Boeing , AN 32, Emperor ,IL 76, Avro etc this Aircraft’s are world class aircraft and they required good trained manpower .with less payments .While in services they may visit the foreign countries due to some course or peace keeping mission , some embassy military attaché posting , and some air force station which is located out side the India etc , then they compare and try to improve themselves .
Do not compare with military and paramilitary ,BSF, CISF,CRPF, or police organization etc , In military forces we can be court marshaled but in civil /paramilitary organization it is it is not there ,in field court-martial if yoou found guilty you can be killed by firing, and In Air force/Navy /Army you are bound by the two sets of rules , one is Air forces/ Navy /Army rules and civil rules . In military you can’t be 1mts absentee, or desertion, in civil you can be absentee but you have put up leave application and settle the issue before your retirements. and in air force very less percentage personals re opting the permanent commission , branch commission etc , because of it is too tough and they will be treated as civilian candidates .For Army commissions airman is not authorized because their manpower will not get the chance . And that is true also .So all will try to go out side and try their luck in banks, other organizations.
if one individual is served for 10 to 20 years in military and he is extremely well in his job and other behaviors , ALQs, if he got promoted to next officer rank what is wrong in it ?Any organization does this keep the morale of the employees .
And thinking big, it my birth right , As per the Dr: Abdul Kalam , “Dream big and try to achieve that one”, don’t feel jalousie on poor soldiers.
.
I hope comparatively corruptions are less in Air force, if you are compare with BSF/cisf/crpf etc , because of the highly educated nature and strong corruption checking agencies of the air force .
hi
this is the problems of India , those who wants he will not get and those who do not wants he will have more quantity , poor sepoy who is done hectic works and jobs he will get more hungry he will not have sufficient quantity or quality and those who are not at all physically working he will have more rations and flying rations and afterwords they will sell to out side and make money . what a justice ………
Very well written and it is fact. If soldier is not fed properly it is doubtful we can win any war. But the intention of top brass is not to win the war otherwise they would have not passed sub standard trucks for army.
it is nice comment with all data and history of supply chains and how it is feeding etc , “if there is a will there is away” , like at small unit level /platoon level CO is honest and taking interest of mess activity , then we can change . by selling not required items and getting good fresh items and good masalas etc .normally the taste makers in Indian foods are tomato and ginger, garlic , onion , etc you provide sufficient quantity , we can overcome . And get good masala for the cooking and cooking staff to be trained in good cooking , and serving technique to be given them .And change the normal menu from roti to thanduri roti or batura , etc
once in while you can go for continental/south Indian /Punjabi / food also .
But ironically good experiments are not done at or’s mess , only in O /mess.
in Air force always PAD /GD exercise will be conducting and every time moke bomb will fall down on airmen mess only not in any other mess . this attitude to be changed . bomb can fall down any where , but some kind of mind set in force it will fall down at poor airmen mess then poor airmen will get food after the activity . and corruption is grown up to such a level no one can stop .So result will be very terrible.
who can save our country ?
There should not be any differance in ration scale between officers ond pbor.It surprising that there is differance in basic things like food between officers and Jawans.