New Delhi, August 12
Seeking a quick redress against shortcomings of the 7th CPC, the three armed services — The Army, IAF and the Navy — have collectively written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has not issued the notification in regard to enhanced pay like other Central Government employees, who will get higher wages from September 1. The notification has been held up as issues raised by the three services are being considered.
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Four key issues highlighted
- First, the 7th pay panel’s recommendations have “artificially suppressed”salaries of the service officers. In each rank, service officers have ended up being lower in pay scales
- Second, non-acceptance of the demand for non-functional upgrade has widened the gap with other Central employees
- Third, the military service pay for junior commissioned officers and jawans should be Rs 10,000 instead of Rs 5,200
- Finally, the 7th pay panel’s new formula for pension lowers the benefits of soldiers/officers with 100 per cent disability
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The three forces have recently sent a collective letter through the office of the Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC) – the CoSC being the senior most among the Chiefs of the three services. Air Chief Marshall Arup Raha, the IAF Chief, is the present CoSC.
A letter from the services to Modi and Parrikar seeking better wages is not unprecedented. After the Sixth Pay Commission, the services had faced a similar “lowering of status”. The then CoSC, Admiral Sureesh Mehta (now retired) had shot off a letter to the UPA-I regime. A high-powered committee was set up in 2008 under Pranab Mukerjee (then a minister in Manmohan Singh’s Cabinet) to study the matter.
The services, in their letter, have pointed out four key issues that need to be addressed and lift the morale of the forces.
The first is how the salaries of the service officers have been “artificially suppressed”. The formula applied for basic pay fixation is different than the one applied to other Central Government employees. As a result, in each rank the service officers have ended up being lower in pay scales.In the government, facilities like car, housing, or sanctions for air travel depend upon the basic pay.
The second is the non-acceptance of the demand for non-functional upgrade (NFU). After the last pay commission (the sixth), the Govt allowed “non-functional scale upgradation” to Group-A officers to get the same scale as a Joint Secretary, but after 24 years of service. Strangely, the armed forces are neither classified as group “A” services nor are they termed as “Central services” like the IAS or the IPS and did not get NFU. Now, with others getting NFU the gap gets widened.
The third issue is higher military service pay (MSP) for junior commissioned officers (JCOs). They rise from the lower ranks (jawans). The 7th CPC has clubbed the MSP of JCOs and jawans at Rs 5,200. The demand is to have it at Rs 10,000 for the JCOs. The MSP for officers between Lieutenant-rank and Brigadier-rank is common at Rs 15,500.
The fourth main issue is lowering of disability pension. As per the new formula, okayed by the 7th CPC, soldiers/officers with 100 per cent disability will see their pensions reduced from the current levels. However, in case of the disabled of other services their perks will rise.
In March this year, the MoD had conveyed to an empowered committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary that the status, pay and allowances of the armed forces be kept above all other “fighting” arms of the government.
Def Min Manohar Parrikar had also taken up the case that issues of status, pay and allowances for the forces have to be paramount.
(Source- The Tribune)
The army officers do not highlight the plight of jawans, not even a single point concerning a soldier is mooted, military service pay must be equal to all. as they are officers their scale of pay more than a jawan that they deserve, but in case of other allowances equalisation to be maintained in hardship allowances
ReplyDeleteStatus,pay and parks definitely deserve more for AFs officers and pbors never want parity wd officers. Afs commanders must must also take care of d pbors bcoz de r offrs for pbors alone. D agony of d pbors is that a diploma engineer in civil wd 20 odd yrs of service rise to the level of Gp-A. With appropriate grade pay. In d afs a jco ends up in 4800 grade pay as d highest even after 33 yrs of service. Dis is d tragic irony of d pbors. Entire PBORs r grouped in 5200 slab including d jcos for MSP whereas mns granted 10200? Military pay attributable to field fighting or hospital work? Dis is a gross neglect of d pbors by d serving AFs commanders which creates negative sentiments in d mindset of d pbors. Hav and equivalent ranks needs obvious upliftment to 4200 grade for parity justification and last rank of d jcos needs to b taken to 5400 grade to uphold d morale of d PBORS.
ReplyDeleteHon pm would consider soldiers request.pm should check the ratio between Third to fourth,fourth to fifth and sixth pay commissions.Also cost of living . now a days soldiers have been deployed all the activities such as maintaining of law and order,ci ops flood relief and natural claimant.
ReplyDeleteThere fore I request hon pm sab pl consider their request.dont try to them de moralise them.
Regards
Nagarathinamk
Dear KARUNAKARAN JEE,Be happy that the COSC have at least seek MSP 10000 For PBORs this time.u r right for common HARD SHIP allowance ,yet I wish to advice,Pl do not annoy with owned fraternity if they given.the point of objection shall be why , AN IAS is given much at GOHATI (no hard area) and OLIVE at siachine is not considered equally even.
ReplyDeletebadai bai,
DeleteI am doing social service in my village veterans widows are not given OROP and I have solved atleast 50 cases, all illiterate, lay woman some widows are tendering cattles for their livelihood, my aim is to say article 12 and 14 says equal to all, jawans are suffering in the border exposing their body to the inclement weather reducing their life span in comparison with other category, they should be given at par with other in the matter of disability pension a soldier lost his limb is that made of wood why other category is being paid more than a soldier , as far as rank pay concerned they deserve to get
I am only eight class not well versed with english
ordinary foot soldier
Military Service Pay should be equal for Commissioned Officers, Junior commissioned Officers and Other Ranks. It should be as per number of years of service like follows:
ReplyDeleteService 0 to 10years - Rs 5200/-
Service 10 to 15years - Rs 10,200/-
Above Service 15 years- Rs 15,400/-
If the govt raise the MSP to 10000, the MF will go upto 2.78 isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI fully agree with Mr karunakaran. Yes, as Mr Ragbir Singh pointed out that the COSC has at least done to raise the MSP for jawans. COSC does n't analyse anything for the PBORs only officer's having only unending anomalies.Officers themselves conveniently equate them with Civil Service and what about the PBORs. Did they ever thought of ? Always they are concerned about only themselves..? Let any jawan serving or retired say that the officers treated them well. Where do you place the pay of Sub Maj who has completed more than 30 years of service to less than a 22 years old just passed out officer. Who can mitigate this gross injustice shown to a JCO.
ReplyDeleteThis time also nothing will happen. It is a long process with in the govt to alter anything once decided upon. Is it possible to held up implementation till long? Indeed very remote possibility of any change apart from 2.57 unless miracles happened. All other departments have since completed the formalities of releasing orders of payment etc except Defence forces. So let us keep hopes.
ReplyDeleteIn each Central Pay Commission, Pay/Pension of Honorary Rank brought down. Earlier, Honorary Rank(HFO/HFL), Pay/Pension was more than entry level of commissioned officer. This piont be looked into.
ReplyDeleteHow can a pay commission be so stupid as to down size the disability pension already sanctioned,this is what happens when a judge blindly believes an ideas officer
ReplyDeleteAfter reading all the comments, I can conclude that,
ReplyDelete1. Unless the Ex-Servicemen (PBORs) form a strong union, with their presence in every sub-division, nothing is going to be changed.
2. If it were to be changed, the degraded status of the PBORs would have been changed long earlier. Something new needs to be done.
3. Asking help from the developed country's leaders also can play a vital role as we are still following the colonial rules and our leaders will be eager to listen and follow their advice.
4. It is essential to keep unity among the PBORs. Social media can become a vital platform. I request all EX-servicemen associations to flood the social media with the truths. Let the whole world know how the successive pay commissions have reduced the pay and status of the PBORs.
The demand of armed forces should be accepted by the government without any hesitation if their demands are logic because armed forces are not allowed to make any association to raise their demands and go for a strike.If so then their demands should be looked happily.
ReplyDeleteThis time also nothing will happen. Officers are interested in there allowances only. In the name morale of forces they are not even allowing the payment of 7th CPC. It's too bad. And in case of msp they have played divide and rule. They have asked for increasing the msp of jcos . It's still British army.
ReplyDelete