New Delhi, Aug 11: The Delhi High Court has pulled up the army for non-publication of regulations on service conditions of personnel and pensioners, saying it continued to have the outlook of a "colonial army" in this regard.

"You (army) should have dealt with the issue in a more dignified manner. You have the outlook of colonial army that the soldiers are my subject and they are subjugated," a bench comprising Justice Anil Dev Singh and Justice Mukul Mudgal said while hearing a petition, highlighting numerous problems being faced by military pensioners. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by All India Defence Services Advocates Association (AIDSAA) has sought a direction to the Centre to publish non-statutory regulations, orders, instructions, memorandum governing service conditions of army personnel and pensioners to make them available to public.

Disagreeing with army counsel Narender Kalra's contention that these regulations and orders could not be published due to reasons of "secrecy", the court said "there are no such orders which affect the provisions of the Official Secrets Act (OSA). How can they violate official secrecy?"

AIDSAA's President J S Manhas contended that majority of regulations had nothing to do with secrecy as they related to promotions, medical benefits, disability policy, pension and, compulsory retirement, and were in the form of administrative letters and instructions not made publicly available to personnel who remained ignorant about their rights. Bureau Report