Groom officers' wives for welfare programmes: Army

Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh has asked the formations to groom the wives of officers for welfare programmes while keeping in mind their work schedules against the backdrop of complaints of victimisation for not taking part in AWWA activities by spouses of some officers.
He issued the instructions recently to formations across the country that the officers' mess of the force should not be used as starred hotels.
The Chief has issued the instructions to groom the wives of all ranks for performing the roles assigned to the Army Wives Welfare Organisation (AWWA) but their work commitments should be taken into consideration before involving them in activities, Army officials said here.

The units have been asked to understand the compulsions of the officers' and their wives.
The instructions have been issued at a time when a large number of young officers have working wives and they are not able to take part in the social activities of the AWWA, which is headed at the national level by the Chief's wife and by the wife of the senior-most officer at respective stations.
A few years back, wives of two officers complained that the ACRs of their husbands were tarnished because they did not take part in AWWA activities.

In one case, the wife of an officer also approached the court against the AWWA claiming she was asked to perform roles which she did not want to.

The Comptroller and Auditor General in its report had slammed the use of service aircraft and other privileges enjoyed by the senior functionaries of the AWWA.
Though the AWWA uses facilities of the Army, it is kept out of the ambit of the RTI by the force declaring it to be a private body.