A reluctant step, but an important and landmark step nevertheless by the Ministry of Defence for Disabled Soldiers probably ending the dark era of en masse appeals against disabled soldiers

PLEASE CLICK TO VIEW THE ORDER OF MINISTRY OF DEFENCE ON NANA CASES

As regular readers would be aware, the issue of declaring disabilities of soldiers as “Neither Attributable to, Nor Aggravated By Military Service” (popularly known as NANA cases) has been a vexed one. While the rules on attributability and aggravation are quite liberal, their interpretation has been literal, leading to denial of disability and special family pensionary benefits to disabled soldiers and families of soldiers who die due to some disability while in service.

Despite several judgements by the Supreme Court, High Courts as also followed by various Benches of the Armed Forces Tribunal, benefits were denied to such disabled soldiers, and on the contrary, multiple appeals were filed against favourable verdicts rendered by Courts.

Besides other issues, this issue was also deliberated upon and discussed in detail inParagraph 2.2.1 of the Report of the Committee of Experts constituted by the then Raksha Mantri on directions of the Prime Minister, for reducing litigation involving the Ministry of Defence and strengthening the mechanisms for redressal of grievances, of which I too was a Member. The following were the recommendations of the Committee to this end:

In view of the foregoing, the Committee notes and recommends the following:

(a) According to rules, as also endorsed by the Supreme Court, a benefit of doubt regarding ‘attributability/aggravation’ or ‘service-connection’ needs to be granted to any disability arising during service [See Paragraph 32 of Dharamvir Vs Union of India (supra), Paragraphs 15 & 16 of Union of India Vs Rajbir (supra)]. The same however can be denied when it is shown that the disability is due to a person’s own gross misconduct or negligence, illegal activity, substance abuse or intoxication. The same is also a universally acceptable norm in all democracies [See Rule 105 of US Code 38 (supra)]. The same benefit is also admissible in ‘death’ cases due to in-service disabilities leading to entitlement of Special Family Pension for families. The said proposition is also agreeable to all stakeholders including the medical side with the apex medical body, the MSAC, also on board.

(b)  There is no linkage with ‘peace’ or ‘field’ service as far as attributability of disabilities is concerned and any such differentiation locally put across by the office of DGAFMS in the past or professed by any other authority is illegal, contrary to Entitlement Rules, contemptuous towards decisions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and also against Regulations for Medical Services in the Armed Forces (See Para 33 of Dharamvir Singh Vs Union of India and Regulation 423 of RMSAF). So for example, if a soldier develops Heart Disease while in service, the benefit of doubt needs to be extended to ‘service-connection’ and the claim need not be rejected on grounds such as ‘served in peace area’ or ‘cause unknown’. The claim can only be rejected in case of a note of disability at the time of entry into service or reasons such as ‘heavy smoking’ or ‘lack of dietary control leading to obesity and heart disease’ are recorded, if applicable. Otherwise, the presumption operates in favour of soldiers, as per rules and as held by the Supreme Court.

(c)  Broadly blaming domestic reasons for psychiatric disabilities arising during military service is against common knowledge and unethical since domestic reasons are bound to give rise to stress and also to aggravate the same in soldiers because of the very fact that due to military service they remain away from their families most of the year and cannot hence cope up with all familial requirements efficiently by virtue of their being absent from home. Putting the blame on ‘domestic reasons’ not only gives out a message that the organisation is simply washing its hands off the responsibility towards such soldiers but also results in denial of pensionary benefits to such affected soldiers and their families. The issue already stands addressed in K Srinivasa Reddy Vs Union of India (supra) and also explained in detail in the preceding paragraphs by us. The said principles and causative factors of stress also stand endorsed by way of DO letters written to Chief Ministers by successive Raksha Mantris, which of course has also not resulted in desirable results and needs renewed efforts.

(d) All concerned agencies should realize that non-grant of “attributability” or “aggravation” on flimsy grounds results in denial of pensionary benefits and consequently denial of a life of basic dignity to disabled soldiers. While it may be just a casual stroke of a pen for a medical board, it may be a question of survival for a soldier or his family. The exercise needs to be undertaken in a common-sense oriented, practical, liberal and scientific manner. Guidelines, if any, may not operate in derogation of actual rules and need to move with the times as per global norms based on scientific studies. The lack of transparency in past amendments in the “Guide to Medical Officers (Military Pensions)” wherein the said amendments do not even carry the footnote of the study or the basis leading to the change/amendment is highly avoidable and so is the tendency not to honestly reproduce the actual rules in the said guide and eliminating important parts such as the erstwhile Para 47 of the 2002 version which has vanished without trace and without reasoning and the spirit of which needs to be restored. All authorities, including Medical Boards shall decide attributability/aggravation on a case to case basis as per law laid down by the Supreme Court based on the interpretation of actual rules and ground realities of the inherent stress and strain of military life, rather than the mathematical guidelines of the Guide to Medical Officers or locally issued instructions and DO letters written to medical boards.

(e) Cases of feigning of disabilities where none exist should be dealt with strongly and medical boards should also be extra careful in examining cases where individuals have reported with a medical condition just prior to retirement or release.

(f) The current approach shows that despite clear cut law laid down by the Supreme Court and also the spirit of the rules, there is resistance in accepting the settled legal position based on hyper-technical hairsplitting reasons. The concerned authorities must accept gracefully and with all humility the law laid down by the Apex Court and come to terms to the same since an approach of resistance is not only against law but also at odds with global practices for disabilities incurred during military service.

(g) It is further recommended that henceforth in medical boards, all disabilities arising in service may be broadly dealt with on the anvil of the above practical realities, all appeals pending against such disabled soldiers filed in the Supreme Court be withdrawn immediately and pending or future litigation in Courts and Tribunals related to past cases of disabled soldiers may be dealt with by Government lawyers in judicial fora on the basis of Supreme Court decisions as above, except in cases of gross misconduct, negligence, substance abuse or intoxication, on a case to case basis. Needless to state, the same principles also apply to deaths while in service.

Based on the position as above, the Ministry of Defence has finally issued a policy letter for implementation of Court orders granting disability pension to disabled soldiers, which can be downloaded and accessed by clicking here. While the Ministry has fully accepted judicial dicta as emphasized in the above recommendation, what is strange is that in Paragraph 3 of the said policy, though the Defence Services Headquarters have been asked to implement Court orders and also grant absolute sanctions while implementing the same (as against Conditional sanctions pending appeal, as was the case in the past), the Ministry has still not shown a large heart as far as withdrawal of the pending appeals are concerned, and on the contrary, rather than asking the Defence Services to withdraw the said appeals, the Ministry states that ‘absolute sanctions’ be issued on dismissal of the appeals already pending in the Supreme Court. The question arises that when the recommendations of the Committee are unambiguous on the subject and so is the law declared by Constitutional Courts, why should the pending appeals be pursued till ‘dismissed’, and why not simply withdrawn with full humility?

These are questions to which there are no answers. Notwithstanding this, we should stay positive since not only will this ensure a faster implementation of Court orders related to disability pension, it also, in all probability, marks the closure of a dark era of en masse appeals against disabled soldiers, and I am sure the remaining issues shall also be ironed out soon.

Must place on record my gratitude to Mr Manohar Parrikar for initiating these reforms leading us to a better today. 

 (SOURCE : INDIAN MILITARY - SERVICE BENEFITS - MAJ NAVDEEP SINGH BLOG)

A MUST READ FOR ALL EX-SERVICEMEN : SHUN YOUR NEGATIVE THOUGHTS, BALLONED EGOS, MOVE FORWARD WITH POSITIVE CHANGES OF TIMES --OR GET

Sirs, 

    I fail to understand why we are clamouring over one another to malign the Jantar Mantar agitation at the drop of a hat. In a recent post an Ex-Army Cdr commented on whether the serving lot needed advice from ESM.

Yes Sir, they do.

Being cocooned, they are fed a lot of gibberish as evident from the recent letter in circulation about the non-applicability of NFU to maintain status. They will only feel the effect of their silence when they retire and strive for civil nirvana. But that time the clock would have been set back and the effects of the One-time-increment a.k.a the present day OROP would have worn off.

We as Indians vote to power congenital scamsters and even deify them as Netas, yet are very hypocritical and resort to slander when it comes to one of us. Why?  

I am of the opinion that whatever form we have got OROP in is due to the actions at Jantar Mantar. When the momentum was with ESM there was a slander campaign and infighting. Just what the Doctor ordered for the babus & Netas to augment their depleting anti-Fauj vitriolic armory. For God’s Sake! If one feels he is doing a good job why do you need to slander, overtly or covertly – Just do your good work--------- B**Ls to the rest as we say in the army.

But No, we had to squabble – General Vs General, Men Vs Officers, ESM Group Vs Another and between Politically aligned ESM groups. And, at a time when the iron was hot and the momentum on the gallop. Just that last lap and the adversary would have buckled. But no – the hurdles were raised.

What is the end result?

# The OMJC has submitted its report and the Govt. is busy tinkering with it since there is no pressure upon them to act.

# The actions of the previous Chiefs who were galvanized into staying the implementation of the 7^th PC has now been neutralised by the acceptance of the 7^th PC without resolution of Core issues that had degraded the Defence forces from the 3^rd PC onwards. 

Hark the Death Knell of the much tooted “ Naam-Namak-Nishan”.

We will soon be just another ParaMilitarised Military.

Our adversary – the Babu is a Sly and Wily character. They care two hoots for legal orders. If the Apex court says “remove red beacons”, they subvert the order by introducing upgraded car pennants. 

Therefore, I am quite skeptical about the resolution of grievances by approaching the Court/tribunals. When ESM approach the AFTs our adversary is forewarned and when he gets the gist of arguments of ESM in the Tribunals, the rules of the game are changed and the goal post shifted. So, even after the “tareekh-pe-tareekh” game and the case is won in the Courts the plaintiff will find that the game has changed and the verdict is now obsolete in the new playing field. 

Babus are masters at moving the cheese. It has to be a blitzkrieg where the babu gets no reaction time and the Neta fears a “Kissa-kursi-ka” aftermath.   

Else, Crores will be spent to get a favourable verdict that will be – Nil batta sannata. Prefer to see ESM groups spend it on air tickets than spend it for hallowed obsolescence.

India would never have been a Republic in 1950 had it not been for the combined effort of the ideologies of Bose and Gandhiji. If the Raj was not financially in trouble after WW II our non-violence movement would have been inconsequential. 

If the Defence forces need to redeem their lost Honour then they need to stop quibbling and let each do his own.

Let the JM lot do their bit while the believers of AFT do theirs. Maybe the multipronged approach will yield results.

But if we continue to snipe – we will be the losers.

Regards

Menon  (SREEKUMAR MENON - A RETD ARMY OFFICER) 

(SOURCE- VIA GP E-MAIL)

IESM PROTEST MOVEMENT AT JM AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ONE RANK ONE PENSION (OROP)

30 Jun 2017 

Dear Friends, 

1.    You are aware that the OROP Anomalies have not been corrected by the Govt which has adversely affected our Pensions of 7^th CPC.

2.   While large majority of Defence Family  is in favour of continuation of our Protest Movement at JM, a few of us mostly internet users who for the reasons best known to them want JM  to be stopped.  When we ask these persons that we have not got Actual OROP then why they wanted us to move out from JM, they have no answer except that we should take the legal route.  Some of them are satisfied and happy for what the Govt has implemented.

3.  Presence of large number of ESM at JM on 14 May and 15 June 2017 and their overvaluing resolve to continue with the Agitation till Actual OROP is implemented is a factor which should not be ignored while arriving at the decision.

4.   “Restoration of Respect & Justice for Jawan” in our country is far away.  Some extremely derogatory, degrading and humiliating statements by members of the Political Class against the Army in the recent past are cause of serious concern.  The Govt, it seems has not taken the required serious action against the culprits.  The last bastion of the Nation ie Defence Forces are being degraded, humiliated and disrespected.  There is shortage of over 11000 officers and the suitable youth is not being attracted to the Profession of Arms.

5.  While the Rank and File participate in large number, the officers in the required numbers are not coming to JM.  Leaders whether serving or retired have to be leading from the front.  There is urgent and strong need for officers to visit JM on daily basis to fight for the cause of soldiers.

6.  I appeal to the officers, specially seniors to showcase their solidarity by visiting JM as often as possible.  They should suggest alternate options to get Actual OROP implemented and lead the execution of their Plan.

“United we stand Divided we Fall”

With regards,

Yours Sincerely,

Maj Gen Satbir Singh, SM (Retd)                                           

Advisor United Front of Ex Servicemen Jantar Mantar &   

Chairman Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement                              

Mobile:9312404269, 01244110570  

Email:satbirsm@gmail.com   

(Source- Via e-mail)

PAKISTAN PM VS INDIAN PM : OFFICIALLY RECEIVED IN RUSSIA

The video speaks a thousand words. Please watch till the end.




(Source- Youtube)

7TH CPC ALLOWANCES : PRESS NOTE BY FINANCE MINISTRY (GOVT OF INDIA)

PRESS NOTE

      The Union Cabinet chaired by the PM Shri Narendra Modi approved the recommendations of the 7th CPC on allowances with some modifications. The revised rates of the allowances shall come into effect from 1st July, 2017 and shall affect more than 48 lakh Central Government employees.

       While approving the recommendations of the 7th CPC on 29th June, 2016, the Cabinet had decided to set up the Committee on Allowances (CoA) in view of substantial changes in the existing provisions and a number of representations received. The modifications are based on suggestions made by the CoA in its Report submitted to Finance Minister on 27th April, 2017 and the Empowered Committee of Secretaries set up to screen the recommendations of 7th CPC.

7th CPC recommendations on Allowances

       The 7th CPC had adopted a three-pronged approach in examining a total of 197 allowances which involved an assessment of the need for continuation of each allowance, appropriateness of the set of people covered by the allowance and rationalisation which involved clubbing of allowances with similar objectives. Based on the examination on these lines, the 7th CPC recommended that 53 allowances be abolished and 37 be subsumed in an existing or a newly proposed allowance.

For most of the allowances that were retained, the 7th CPC recommended a raise commensurate with inflation as reflected in the rates of Dearness Allowance (DA). Accordingly, fully DA-indexed allowances such as Transport Allowance were not given any raise. Allowances not indexed to DA were raised by a factor of 2.25 and the partially indexed ones by a factor of 1.5. The quantum of allowances paid as a percentage of pay was rationalised by a factor of 0.8.

       A new paradigm has been evolved to administer the allowances linked to risk and hardship. The myriad allowances, their categories and sub—categories pertaining to civilians employees, CAPF and defence personnel have been fitted into a table called the Risk and Hardship Matrix (R&H Matrix). The Matrix has nine cells denoting varying degrees of risk and hardship with one extra cell at the top named as RH – Max to include Siachen Allowance. Multiple rates applicable to individual allowances will be replaced by two slab rates for every cell of the R&H Matrix.

Modifications approved by the Cabinet

       The modifications approved today were finalised by the E-CoS based on the recommendations of the CoA. The CoA had undertaken extensive stakeholder consultations before finalising its recommendations. It had interacted with Joint Consultative Machinery (Staff side) and representatives from various staff associations. Most of the modifications are on account of continuing requirement of some of the existing arrangements, administrative exigencies and to further the rationalization of the allowances structure.

Financial Implications

     The modifications approved by the Government in the recommendations of the 7th CPC on allowances will lead to a modest increase of 21448.23 crore per annum over the projections made by the 7th CPC. The 7th CPC, in its Report, had projected the additional financial implication on allowances at 229,300 crore per annum. The combined additional financial implication on account of the 7th CPC recommendations along with the modifications approved by the Cabinet is estimated at 230748.23 crore per annum.

Highlights of Cabinet approval on Allowances

1.Number of allowances recommended to be abolished and subsumed:

     Government has decided not to abolish 12 of the 53 allowances which were recommended to be abolished by the 7th CPC. The decision to retain these allowances has been taken keeping in view the specific functional requirements of Railways, Posts and Scientific Departments such as Space and Atomic Energy. It has also been decided that 3 of the 37 allowances recommended to be subsumed by the 7th CPC will continue as separate identities. This has been done on account of the unique nature of these allowances. The rates of these allowances have also been enhanced as per the formula adopted by the 7th CPC. This will benefit over one lakh employees belonging to specific categories in Railways, Posts, Defence and Scientific Departments.

2.House Rent Allowance

     HRA is currently paid @ 30% for X (population of 50 lakh & above), 20% for Y (5 to 50 lakh) and 10% for Z (below 5 lakh) category of cities. 7th CPC has recommended reduction in the existing rates to 24% for X, 16% for Y and 8% for Z category of cities. As the HRA at the reduced rates may not be sufficient for employees falling in lower pay bracket, it has been decided that HRA shall not be less than 5400, 3600 and 1800 for X, Y and Z category of cities respectively. This floor rate has been calculated @ 30%, 20% and 10% of the minimum pay of 18000. This will benefit more than 7.5 lakh employees belonging to Levels 1 to 3.

     7th CPC had also recommended that HRA rates will be revised upwards in two phases to 27%, 18% and 9% when DA crosses 50% and to 30%, 20% and 10% when DA crosses 100%. Keeping in view the current inflation trends, the Government has decided that these rates will be revised upwards when DA crosses 25% and 50% respectively. This will benefit all employees who do not reside in government accommodation and get HRA.

3. Siachen Allowance

       7th CPC had placed Siachen Allowance in the RH-Max cell of the R&H Matrix with two slabs of 221,000 and 231,500. Recognizing the extreme nature of risk and hardship faced by officers / PBORs on continuous basis in Siachen, the Government has decided to further enhance the rates of Siachen Allowance which will now go up from the existing rate from (14,000 to 30,000 per month for Jawans & JCOs (Level 8 and below) and from 21,000 to 42,500 per month for Officers (Level 9 and above). With this enhancement, Siachen Allowance will become more than twice the existing rates. It will benefit all the soldiers and officers of Indian Army who are posted in Siachen.

4. Dress Allowance

     At present, various types of allowances are paid for provisioning and maintenance of uniforms/outfits such as Washing Allowance, Uniform Allowance, Kit Maintenance Allowance, Outfit Allowance etc. These have been rationalised and subsumed in newly proposed Dress Allowance to be paid annually in four slabs @ 5000, 10,000, 15,000 and 20,000 per annum for various category of employees. This allowance will continue to be paid to Nurses on a monthly basis in view of high maintenance and hygiene requirements. Government has decided to pay higher rate of Dress Allowance to SPG personnel keeping in view the existing rates of Uniform Allowance paid to them (which is higher than the rates recommended by the 7th CPC) as also their specific requirements. The rates for specific clothing for different categories of employees will be governed separately.

5. Tough Location Allowance

Some allowances based on geographical location such as Special Compensatory (Remote Locality) Allowance (SCRLA), Sunderban Allowance & Tribal Area Allowance have been subsumed in Tough Location Allowance. The areas under TLA have been classified into three categories and the rates will be governed as per different cells of R&H Matrix and will be in the range of 1000 – 5300 per month. The 7th CPC had recommended that TLA will not be admissible with Special Duty Allowance (SDA) payable in North-East, Ladakh and the Islands. Government has decided that employees will be given the option to avail of the benefit of SCRLA at pre-revised rates along with SDA at revised rates.

6. Recommendations in respect of some important allowances paid to all employees:

1. Rate of Children Education Allowance (CEA) has been increased from
   21500 per month / child (max. 2) to 2250 per month / child (max.2). Hostel Subsidy will also go up from 4500 per month to 6750 per month.
2. Existing rates of Special Allowance for Child Care for Women with Disabilities has been doubled from 1500 per month to 3000 per month.
3. Higher Qualification Incentive for Civilians has been increased from 2000 – 10000 (Grant) to 10000 – 230000 (Grant).

7. Recommendations in respect of some important allowances paid to Uniformed Services: Defence, CAPFs, Police, Indian Coast Guard and Security Agencies

i. The 7th CPC has recommended abolition of Ration Money Allowance (RMA) and free ration to Defence officers posted in peace areas. It has been decided that Ration Money Allowance will continue to be paid to them and directly credited to their account. It will benefit 43000 Defence. 

ii.Technical Allowance (Tier – I & II) are paid to Defence officers belonging to technical branches @3000 per month and 4500 per month. 7th CPC has recommended that Technical Allowance (Tier – II) be merged with Higher Qualification Incentive for Defence personnel. In view of the specific requirements of Defence Forces for the Defence personnel to keep pace with changing Defence requirements and technologies, the Government has decided not to discontinue Technical Allowance. The list of courses for these allowances will be reviewed to remain in sync with the latest technical advancements in Defence.

iii. The facility of one additional free railway warrant (Leave Travel Concession) presently granted to personnel of Defence Forces serving in field/high altitude/CI Ops shall also be extended to all personnels of CAPFs and the Indian Coast Guard.

iv. Rates of High Altitude Allowance granted to Defence Forces and CAPF personnel will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The rates will go up from 2810 – 16800 per month to 2700 — 25000 per month.

v. Field Area Allowances are granted to Indian Army, Air Force & CAPF The rates of Field Area Allowances (Modified Field, Field & Highly Active) will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The rates will go up from 21200 – 212600 per month to 26000 – 216900 per month. Classification of field areas for this allowance will be done by Ministry of Defence for Defence personnel and by Ministry of Home Affairs for CAPFs.

vi. The rates of Counter Insurgency Ops (CI Ops) Allowance, granted to Defence and CAPFs while deployed in counter — insurgency operations will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The rates will go up from 23000 -Z11700 per month to 26000 — Z16900 per month.

vii. Rates of MARCOS and Chariot Allowance granted to marine commandos of Indian Navy will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The rates will go up from 210500 – 215750 per month to 217300 — 225000 per

viii. Rates of Sea Going Allowance granted to personnel of Indian Navy will
be governed by the R&H Matrix. The twelve hour conditionality for determining the eligibility of Sea Going Allowance has been reduced to four hours. The rates will go up from 23000 – 27800 per month to 26000 — Z10500 per month.

ix. Rates of Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA) Allowance granted to CRPF personnel deployed in Naxal hit areas will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The rates will go up from 28400 – 216800 per month to Z17300 — 225000 per month.

x. Rates of Flying Allowance granted to flying branch and technical officers of Defence Forces will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The rates will go up from 210500 – 215750 per month to 217300 — 225000 per month. It has been extended mutatis mutandis to BSF Air Wing also.

xi. Rates of Higher Qualification Incentive for Defence Personnel have been increased from 29000 — 230000 (Grant) to Z10000 — 230000 (Grant).

xii. Aeronautical Allowance, presently paid to personnel of Indian Navy, has been extended to Indian Coast Guard. The rate of this allowance has been increased from 2300 per month to 2450 per month.

xiii. Rates of Test Pilot and Flight Test Engineer Allowance will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The rates will go up from Z1500 / 23000 per month to Z4100 / 25300 per month.

xiv. Rates of Territorial Army Allowance have been increased from 2175 -Z450 per month to 21000 – 22000 per month.

xv. Ceilings of Deputation (Duty) Allowance for Defence Personnel have been increased from 22000 – 24500 per month to 24500 – 29000 per

xvi. Rates of Detachment Allowance have been increased 2165 – 2780 per day to 2405 — 21170 per day.

xvii. Rates of Para Jump Instructor Allowance have been increased from 22700/3600 per month to 26000 / 10500 per month.

xviii. Special Incident / Investigation / Security Allowance has been Rates for Special Protection Group (SPG) have been revised to 55% and 27.5% of Basic Pay for operational and non — operational duties respectively.

8. Recommendations in respect of some important allowances paid to Indian Railways

i. Rates of Additional Allowance have been increased from 2500 / 1000 per month to Z1125 / 2250 per month. This has also been extended to Loco Pilot Goods and Senior Passenger Guards also @2750 per month.

ii. In view of strenuous nature of the job, new Allowance namely Special Train Controller’s Allowance @5000 per month for Train Controllers of Railways has been introduced.

9.Recommendations in respect of some important allowances paid to Nurses& Ministerial Staffs of Hospital

i. Existing rate of Nursing Allowance has been increased from 4800 per month to 7200 per month.

ii. Rate of Operation Theatre Allowance has been increased from 360 per month to 540 per month.

iii.Rates of Hospital Patient Care Allowance / Patient Care Allowance have been increased from 2070 – 2100 per month to 4100 — 5300 per 7th CPC recommendations modified to the extent that it will be granted to Ministerial staff also.

10. Recommendations in respect of some important allowances paid to Pensioners  

i. Rate of Fixed Medical Allowance (FMA) for Pensioners has been increased from 500 per month to 1000 per month. This will benefit more than 5 lakh central government pensioners not availing CGHS facilities.

ii. The rate of Constant Attendance Allowance granted on 100% disablement has been increased from Rs. 4500 per month Rs. 6750 per month.

11. Allowances to Scientific Departments

i. The recommendations of 7th CPC to abolish Launch Campaign Allowance and Space Technology Allowance has not been accepted. In order to incentivize the supporting employees in Space and Atomic Energy sector, the rate of Launch Campaign and Space Technology Allowance has been increased from 27500 per annum to 11250 per annum. Professional Update Allowance for non-gazetted employees of Department of Atomic Energy will also continue to be paid at the enhanced rate of 11250 per annum.

ii. The 7th CPC had placed Antarctica Allowance, paid to the Scientists and other members undertaking the expedition to Antarctica under the Indian Antarctic programme, in the RH-Max Cell of the R&H Matrix. The rates of the RH-Max Cell recommended by the 7th CPC were less than the existing rates of Antarctica Allowance which is currently paid on per day basis. Considering the specific nature of these expeditions and to provide appropriate increase in rates, Government has decided to keep Antarctica Allowance out of the R&H Matrix and the allowance will continue to be paid on per day basis as per existing practice. The Rates of Antarctica Allowance will go up from 1125 per day (Summers) and 1688 per day (Winters) to 21500 per day (Summers) and 2000 per day (Winters).

12. Allowances paid to D/o Posts

The recommendations of 7th CPC to abolish Cycle Allowance, granted mainly to Postmen and trackmen in Railways, has not been accepted. Keeping in view the specific requirement of this allowance for postmen in Department of Posts and trackmen in Railways, the cycle allowance is retained and the rates have been doubled from 90 per month to 180 per month. This will benefit more than 22,200 employees.

Conclusion

While increasing the rate of allowances affecting the central government employees, especially the Defence, CAPF and Coast Guard personnel, the staff of Railways, Postal department and nursing staff, the total number of allowances have been rationalized from 197 to 128. Thus, the Government has shown a great deal of fiscal prudence and at the same time addressed the genuine concerns of the employees and responded to some of the administrative exigencies necessitating the modifications.

(Source- CG Govt employees blog - http://www.govtempdiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/7CPC_Allowances_PressNote28062017.pdf )

WALK THE TALK WITH TWO AIR FORCE 1971 WAR HEROES BY SEKHAR GUPTA, E-IN-CHIEF, INDIAN EXPRESS

 Published on Jan 18, 2014

Walk The Talk: 42 years ago, three Indian Air Force fighter pilots held as Prisoners of War in a jail in Rawalipindi made a heroic escape. Shekhar Gupta, Editor-in-Chief, The Indian Express, met two of these pilots, Group Captain Dilip Parulkar and Wing Commander MS Grewal, to hear the tale of their breathtaking escapes that could have best suited the script of a Hollywood war thriller. Watch this exclusive interview on Walk the talk with the Indian Air Force Bravehearts.

(Source- Youtube)

FLASH - FLASH : THE CABINET APPROVED 7TH PAY ALLOWANCES

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE DETAILS

(SOURCE : EX-AIRMEN/SNCO BLOG)

======================================================

The Union Cabinet on June 28 cleared all the 7th Pay Commission Allowances with 34 amendments to the recommendations. This move will impact close to 50 lakh government employees and will result in what the government calls a “modest increase of Rs 1448.23 crore per annum over the projections made by the 7th Central Pay Commission. The commission had its projected the additional financial implication on allowances at Rs 29,300 crore per annum. The combined additional financial implication is hence estimated at Rs 30748.23 crore per annum.

Here are the highlights of Cabinet approval on 7th Pay Commission Allowances:

1. Number of allowances recommended to be abolished and subsumed:

The government has decided not to abolish 12 of the 53 allowances which were recommended to be abolished by the 7th Central Pay Commission. The decision to retain these has been taken for specific functional requirements of Railways, Posts and Scientific Departments such as Space and Atomic Energy. It has also been decided that three of the 37 allowances recommended to be subsumed by the 7th CPC will continue as separate identities considering the unique nature of these allowances. The rates of these allowances have also been enhanced as per the formula adopted by the 7th Central Pay Commission. This will benefit over one lakh employees belonging to specific categories in Railways, Posts, Defence and Scientific Departments.

2. House Rent Allowance

HRA is currently paid at 30 per cent for X (population of 50 lakh and above), 20 per cent for Y (5 to 50 lakh) and 10 per cent for Z (below 5 lakh) category of cities. The panel recommended reduction in the existing rates to 24 per cent for X, 16 per cent for Y and 8 per cent for Z category of cities. As the HRA at the reduced rates may not be sufficient for employees falling in lower pay bracket, it has been decided that HRA shall not be less than Rs 5400, Rs 3600 and Rs 1800 for X, Y and Z category of cities respectively. This floor rate has been calculated at 30 per cent, 20 per cent and 10 per cent of the minimum pay of Rs 18000. This will benefit more than 7.5 lakh employees belonging to Levels 1 to 3.

The panel also recommended that HRA rates will be revised upwards in two phases to 27 per cent, 18 per cent and 9 per cent when DA crosses 50 per cent and to 30 per cent, 20 per cent and 10 per cent when DA crosses 100 per cent. Keeping in view the current inflation trends,  it was decided that these rates will be revised upwards when DA crosses 25 per cent and 50 per cent respectively. This will benefit all employees who do not reside in government accommodation and get HRA.

3. Siachen Allowance

The 7th pay panel had placed Siachen Allowance in the RH-Max cell of the R&H Matrix with two slabs of Rs 21,000 and Rs 31,500. Recognising the extreme nature of risk and hardship faced by those deployed on a continuous basis in Siachen, it was decided to enhance the rates of Siachen Allowance  from the existing rate from Rs 14,000 to Rs 30,000 per month for Jawans & JCOs (Level 8 and below) and from Rs 21,000 to Rs 42,500 per month for Officers (Level 9 and above). With this, Siachen Allowance will become more than twice the existing rates. It will benefit all the soldiers and officers of Indian Army who are posted in Siachen.

4. Dress Allowance

The different types of allowances paid for provisioning and maintenance of uniforms/outfits have been rationalised and subsumed into a newly proposed Dress Allowance. This will be paid annually in four slabs of  Rs 5000, Rs 10,000, Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000 per annum for various category of employees. Nurses will continue to get this on a monthly basis in view of high maintenance and hygiene requirements. The government has decided to pay higher rate of Dress Allowance to SPG personnel keeping in view the existing rates of Uniform Allowance paid to them. The rates for specific clothing for different categories of employees will be governed separately.

5. Tough Location Allowance

Some allowances based on geographical location such as Special Compensatory (Remote Locality) Allowance (SCRLA), Sunderban Allowance and Tribal Area Allowance have been subsumed in Tough Location Allowance. The areas under TLA have been classified into three categories and the rates will be governed as per different cells of R&H Matrix and will be in the range of Rs 1000 – Rs 5300 per month. The pay commission had recommended that TLA will not be admissible with Special Duty Allowance (SDA) payable in North-East, Ladakh and the Islands. The Cabinet has decided that employees will be given the option to avail of the benefit of SCRLA at pre-revised rates along with SDA at revised rates.

6. Recommendations in respect of some important allowances paid to all employees:

(i) Rate of Children Education Allowance (CEA) has been increased from Rs 1500 per month / child (maximum two) to Rs 2250 per month / child (maximum two). Hostel Subsidy will also go up from Rs 4500 per month to Rs 6750 per month.

(ii) Existing rates of Special Allowance for Child Care for Women with Disabilities has been doubled from Rs 1500 per month to Rs 3000 per month.

(iii) Higher Qualification Incentive for Civilians has been increased from Rs 2000 – Rs 10000 (Grant) to Rs 10000 – Rs 30000 (Grant).

7. Recommendations for allowances paid to Uniformed Services: Defence, CAPFs, Police, Indian Coast Guard and Security Agencies

i. The commission has recommended abolition of Ration Money Allowance (RMA) and free ration to Defence officers posted in peace areas. It has been decided that Ration Money Allowance will continue to be paid to them and directly credited to their account. It will benefit 43,000 Defence officers.

ii. Technical Allowance (Tier – I & II) paid to Defence officers belonging to technical branches will now be merged with Higher Qualification Incentive for Defence personnel. “In view of the specific requirements of Defence Forces for the Defence personnel to keep pace with changing Defence requirements and technologies, the Government has decided not to discontinue Technical Allowance. The list of courses for these allowances will be reviewed to remain in sync with the latest technical advancements in Defence,” the notification said.

iii. The facility of one additional free railway warrant (Leave Travel Concession) now granted to personnel of Defence Forces serving in field/high altitude/CI Ops shall also be extended to all personnel of CAPFs and the Indian Coast Guard.

iv. Rates of High Altitude Allowance granted to Defence Forces and CAPF personnel will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The rates will go up from Rs 810 – Rs 16800 per month to Rs 2700 – Rs 25000 per month.

v. The rates of Field Area Allowances (Modified Field, Field & Highly Active) will now be governed by the R&H Matrix. The rates will go up from Rs 1200 – Rs 12600 per month to Rs 6000 – Rs 16900 per month. Classification of field areas for this allowance will be done by Ministry of Defence for Defence personnel and by Ministry of Home Affairs for CAPFs.

vi. The rates of Counter Insurgency Ops (CI Ops) Allowance, granted to Defence and CAPFs while deployed in counter – insurgency operations will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The rates will go up from Rs 3000 – Rs 11700 per month to Rs 6000 – Rs 16900 per month.

vii. Rates of MARCOS and Chariot Allowance granted to marine commandos of Indian Navy will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The rates will go up from Rs 10500 – Rs 15750 per month to Rs 17300 – Rs 25000 per month.

viii. Rates of Sea Going Allowance granted to personnel of Indian Navy will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The 12-hour conditionality for determining the eligibility of Sea Going Allowance has been reduced to four hours. The rates will go up from Rs 3000 – Rs 7800 per month to Rs 6000 – Rs 10500 per month.

ix. Rates of Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA) Allowance granted to CRPF personnel deployed in Naxal hit areas will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The rates will go up from Rs 8400 – Rs 16800 per month to Rs 17300 – Rs 25000 per month.

x. Rates of Flying Allowance granted to flying branch and technical officers of Defence Forces will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The rates will go up from Rs 10500 – Rs 15750 per month to Rs 17300 – Rs 25000 per month. It has been extended mutatis mutandis to BSF Air Wing also.

xi. Rates of Higher Qualification Incentive for Defence Personnel have been increased from Rs 9000 – Rs 30000 (Grant) to Rs 10000 – Rs 30000 (Grant).

xii. Aeronautical Allowance, now paid only to personnel of Indian Navy, has been extended to Indian Coast Guard. The rate of this allowance has been increased from Rs 300 per month to Rs 450 per month.

xiii. Rates of Test Pilot and Flight Test Engineer Allowance will be governed by the R&H Matrix. The rates will go up from Rs 1500 / Rs 3000 per month to Rs 4100 / Rs 5300 per month.

xiv. Rates of Territorial Army Allowance have been increased from Rs 175 – Rs 450 per month to Rs 1000 – Rs 2000 per month.

xv. Ceilings of Deputation (Duty) Allowance for Defence Personnel have been increased from Rs 2000 – Rs 4500 per month to Rs 4500 – Rs 9000 per month.

xvi. Rates of Detachment Allowance have been increased Rs 165 – Rs 780 per day to Rs 405 – Rs 1170 per day.

xvii. Rates of Para Jump Instructor Allowance have been increased from Rs 2700/3600 per month to Rs 6000 / 10500 per month.

xviii. Special Incident / Investigation / Security Allowance has been rationalised. Rates for Special Protection Group (SPG) have been revised to 55 per cent and 27.5 per cent of Basic Pay for operational and non-operational duties respectively.

8. Recommendations in respect of some important allowances paid to Indian Railways

i. Rates of Additional Allowance have been increased from Rs 500 / 1000 per month to Rs 1125 / 2250 per month. This has also been extended to Loco Pilot Goods and Senior Passenger Guards also at Rs 750 per month.

ii. In view of strenuous nature of the job, new Allowance namely Special Train Controller’s Allowance of Rs 5000 per month for Train Controllers of Railways has been introduced.

9. Recommendations in respect of some important allowances paid to Nurses & Ministerial Staffs of Hospital

i. Existing rate of Nursing Allowance has been increased from Rs 4800 per month to Rs 7200 per month.

ii. Rate of Operation Theatre Allowance has been increased from Rs 360 per month to Rs 540 per month.

iii. Rates of Hospital Patient Care Allowance / Patient Care Allowance have been increased from Rs 2070 – Rs 2100 per month to Rs 4100 – Rs 5300 per month. The 7th Central Pay Commission recommendations modified to the extent that it will be granted to Ministerial staff also.

10. Recommendations in respect of some important allowances paid to Pensioners

Rate of Fixed Medical Allowance (FMA) for Pensioners has been increased from Rs 500 per month to Rs 1000 per month. This will benefit more than five lakh central government pensioners not availing CGHS facilities.

i. The rate of Constant Attendance Allowance granted on 100 per cent disablement has been increased from Rs 4500 per month to Rs 6750 per month.

11. Allowances to Scientific Departments

i. The recommendations of 7th Central Pay Commission to abolish Launch Campaign Allowance and Space Technology Allowance has not been accepted. In order to incentivize the supporting employees in Space and Atomic Energy sector, the rate of Launch Campaign and Space Technology Allowance has been increased from Rs 7500 per annum to Rs 11250 per annum. Professional Update Allowance for non-gazetted employees of Department of Atomic Energy will also continue to be paid at the enhanced rate of Rs 11250 per annum.

ii. The 7th Central Pay Commission had placed Antarctica Allowance, paid to the Scientists and other members undertaking the expedition to Antarctica under the Indian Antarctic programme, in the RH-Max Cell of the R&H Matrix. The rates of the RH-Max Cell recommended by the 7th Central Pay Commission were less than the existing rates of Antarctica Allowance which is currently paid on per day basis. Considering the specific nature of these expeditions and to provide an appropriate increase in rates, Government has decided to keep Antarctica Allowance out of the R&H Matrix and the allowance will continue to be paid on per day basis as per existing practice. The Rates of Antarctica Allowance will go up from Rs1125 per day (Summers) and Rs1688 per day (Winters) to Rs1500 per day (Summers) and Rs2000 per day (Winters).

12. Allowances paid to Department of Posts

i. The recommendations of 7th Central Pay Commission to abolish Cycle Allowance, granted mainly to Postmen and trackmen in Railways, has not been accepted. Keeping in view the specific requirement of this allowance for postmen in Department of Posts and trackmen in Railways, the cycle allowance is retained and the rates have been doubled from Rs 90 per month to Rs 180 per month. This will benefit more than 22,200 employees.

 (SOURCE- INDIAN EXPRESS)