Monday, October 31, 2016

ARMED FORCES' PAY-AND-RANK PARITY : PMO TOLD DEFENCE MINISTRY TO GET FORCES INVOLVED IN POLICY : MOD DID OPPOSITE :: BY LT GEN PRAKASH KATOCH (RETD)

Shame that the whole might of press and media is being used for this mis-campaign on the pay and allowances to fauj. Deliberately first denying and injecting twist in the 7th CPC awards at many places, then announcing symbolic correction / reversal in one case to tell the nation how fauj is greedy and unreasonable. If lolly pops are only to be given then why this pomp and show. Why this poor diya lighting in the otherwise dark and gloom of the fauji home and its family. Whom are we cheating?

Barely 10 days after the present government was sworn in May 2014, national dailies headlined "PMO tells MoD, MHA : Get forces involved in policy", elaborating that in an attempt to improve the working environment for the armed forces and other internal security outfits, the Prime Minister’s Office has directed the home and defence ministries to ensure that decisions, especially those relating to the uniformed forces, should be taken only after detailed consultations with their top officers.


The news item elaborated that PMO strongly believed matters relating to the armed forces should not be decided by civilian bureaucrats sitting in North and South Block and that the military leadership should be involved more in decision-making.

Above report further added Prime Minister Narendra Modi had signalled: key decision cannot be left to the bureaucrats; forces must be involved at every stage as they have firsthand experience of what is happening on the ground; entire process of procurement of weapons and equipment was deeply influenced by bureaucrats who have virtually no experience in this field.

The news report quoting a senior official added that any new welfare scheme for armed or paramilitary forces gets drafted by a joint secretary or director-level officer will now change and actual operations officers from the forces will have a greater say.

Was that a lip service or did it get lip-locked by the mafia?


It is often asked who are the mafia, for which no simple definition may apply. But remember the open letter by Anil Manibhai Naik, CEO of L&T to the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that amongst other things said, "And the defence production (ministry) joint secretaries and secretaries of the defence ministry are on the boards of all public sector - sickest of sick units you can think of who cannot take out one conventional submarine out for 15 years now with the result that the gap is widening between us and China and bulk of the time we resort to imports out of no choice," adding, "The whole (defence) industry which could have really flowered around very high technological development and taken India to the next and the next level of technological achievement and excellence is not happening."

Of course, Manibhai would not know that while he lamented about submarines, 15 years were being taken to produce an assault rifle that was no match to top ten of its class available globally.

If you think that was long ago, witness the meeting on 24 October 2016 called by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to meet ex-servicemen wherein he indicated at the outset his hurt at the various mails derogatory towards the "bureaucracy" and requested the veteran community from using such language.
Perhaps he is right and the bureaucracy should be placed on the pedestal given the fact that despite joint secretary's of Ministry on Defence on all boards of the DRDO, DPSUs and Ordinance Factories, India has continued to import 70 percent of its defence needs past several decades. Do you understand now why the reorganisation of MoD and injecting military professional doesn’t happen, why HQ IDS cannot be merged with MoD, why users (military) are not at the design, planning and decision making levels of governmental defence-industrial set up, and why the military must be put down any which way with welfare and prestige of serving, veterans, widows, disabled be damned.

The Defence Minister’s insistence to Service Chiefs to immediately implement 7th CPC that brings military below the CAPF, Service Chiefs decision to wait for the anomalies to be resolved first, MoD’s 30 September letter bringing the disability pension of military drastically down from what was earlier vide 6th CPC and MoD eventually forced to refer the issue to the ‘Anomalies Committee’ has been in the news.

Of course, one part of the forked tongue is tweeting disability pension as per 6th CPC for military personnel have been restored. But whom do you believe and how come the anomalies committee has become so very efficient? Had we become so administratively efficient, even World Bank would not have slammed us for ‘ease of business’. The government versus judiciary feud is in the news, but past several months the Armed Forces Tribunals (AFT) are lying defunct because the post of civilian judge to head AFTs are lying vacant. But with the type of mischief against the military being engineered anyway, why bother about any justice by AFTs.

But look at the misinformation campaign launched about government letter No A/24577/CAO/CP Cell dated October 18 that equated: civilian Group B section officer with army captain; civilian joint director with full colonel (earlier equated with Lt Col); civilian director with brigadier (earlier equated with full colonel); principal director with major general (earlier equated with brigadier). According to media, not only did this letter have MoD approval, objections by armed forces were overruled by the Defence Minister - in a note to MoD in August-September this year, army had “categorically objected to the systematic downgrading of defence officers in status/equivalence vis-à-vis civilian officers”.

Following above expose, another media report emerged quoting MoD officials that the October 18 letter in question downgrading the military ranks vis-à-vis civilian officers was only due to “functional” reasons (also stated by the Defence Minister) which is a very poor excuse because it ‘does’ downgrade military ranks. Will the Defence Minister explain what is the “functional” reason and what are the “non-functional part” of the military-civil relationship, or is it because the military is the only government service that has been deliberately denied the NFU while the balance government services including the civilian defence employees are enjoying the same?

Additionally, while MoD denies any reduction in the military’s status (without cancelling the October 18 letter) and that existing functional equivalence as clarified in 1991 and further reiterated in 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2005 has only been re-affirmed, another media report states that all these letters cited by MoD were superseded in 2009 by a Group of Ministers report (formally equating army colonels with civilian directors) which was approved by the government. So, does the Defence Minister have the foggiest idea that he is being led up the gum tree by his ministry with the explicit aim to create discord in the military establishment through deliberately downgrading military ranks vis-a-vis civilian defence officials?

Now MoD has struck again with approval of Defence Minister by creating two new civilian positions of Additional Director General (ADG) to look after engineering projects in Army’s Northern and Eastern Commands. This policy decision has been taken arbitrarily by MoD - whatever happened to the PMO missive to involve forces in policy decisions? Leave aside consulting the Engineer-in-Chief and concerned Commands, even Service Chiefs were ignored. Without doubt these ADGs will show two fingers to Army Commanders Northern and Eastern Commands; already there have been cases where civilian officers object to official meetings chaired by the Commanding Officers stating they draw more pay and hence it is they who should chair the meeting. That is why these new ADGs are being placed at Jammu and Guwahati instead of being co-located with respective Command HQ. And you guessed it - Guwahati because 7th CPC grants Rs 75,000 monthly hazard allowance to a civilian government official posted at Guwahati and perhaps the guy at Jammu will be quietly given double that amount with Pakistan shelling villages in vicinity of LoC.

Frankly, this whole exercise of creating to civilian ADG posts in Northern and Eastern Commands stinks about money – getting control of funds with (MES) offices and Chief Construction Engineers (CCE) reporting now to these civilian ADGs. There will be automatic setback to functionality and operational requirements of the military as decisions will be taken by bureaucrats sitting in MoD - exactly what PM Modi referred to above. Take the case of the Border Roads directly under MoD and the recent brouhaha of road construction in Arunachal Pradesh. It is all about connecting the villages close to the border. Little is happening about road construction to forward army posts where soldiers still have to walk two-three days to reach them. With the MES offices and Chief Construction Engineers (CCE) going under the civilian ADGs, matters will get worse.

There is fresh news that government is appointing a three-member committee to look into the issue of pay and rank parity with regard to the military. Obviously it would have no military member – perhaps all bureaucrats under the weird logic that if all the anomalies were on behest bureaucrats, they would be best suited to resolve them. 

The Reddy Commission on OROP anomalies submitted its report to the government three days back; what surprise it holds is not known. 

But if the government is really serious about resolving the civilian versus military pay and rank parity, the solution is actually very simple – combatize the civilian defence employees; give them military training and make them part of the military. This will also beef up security. NDA-I is considered by far the best for armed forces. Which way NDA-II is heading, readers can decide.

The author is veteran Lt Gen of Indian Army.


34 comments:

  1. it is pathetic an officer is thinking only of officers equation with civilian cadre. Do you ever equated NCOs and JCOs with their equivalence on their injustice , no where!. What is the fate of men if you the military leadership take decsion makeing !!

    owner of the blogger is sgt and he is always promoting officers matters , i donot know why and he is no allowing men to post the truth even. I doubt this guy!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MRB you must understand it is issue which is being discussed. Pl do not create rift between offrs cadre and the troops they lead. with this will be playing in the hands of people enimical to defence forces. Can it ever happen that the offr cadre not looking after their troops. It will be wrong to blame the blogger .he is doing good job . Infact the comments which create division among the rank and file of def forces must not be published.

      Delete
    2. First I thank blogger publishing my commence.
      Mr. Anonymose must understand why it is the only issue which is being discussed. Now you read my below mail

      Delete
    3. Demand from Ex Veterans

      1. MSP of PBOR to be revised
      2. Bottom scales to be multiplied by index 3
      3. Diploma X group should start with a rank of JWO and 4 years after WO and cancell X gp pay system, with grade pay 4200 equal to civil( old)
      In army and navy, diploma personal are given JCO/PO, over the status and money they get X gp pay too.
      5. Either follow US AF pay system or come back to 3 or 4 CPC, in which JWO salary equal to an entry level officer. Day and night difference of Army and IAF in benifits. What a strange thing! it is
      6. Stop discrimination - in mess, canteen, Echs, accommodation etc. Never miss use men for there personal use.
      7. Stop officers ration
      8. In every officers are given much privileges over men and mem' status, salary, other issues Unheard . These all injustice are accumulated now and see the out burst of men in social media. Please Do not bow before military leaders. They are not sincere to their men.

      Delete
  2. Respected Genaral. Sir

    It is very good writing and it a fact.

    There is no use of just telling/ praising the Jawans at some functions with no result.

    I sincerely thank you and request you to kindly keep writing such Articles.

    With Regards,
    Sgt.S.Kanthiah,Veteran Exwel Trust.

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  3. sir, write a strong letter to the pm and ensure the way that letter /maii is seen by the pm . would be better had the pm or pmo logged on to this spot.

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  4. Deadly hold of Bureaucrats. With every resolution of one anomaly another two would be engineered for Raksha Mantri's perusal/action. Govt thereafter take credit for having resolved so many issues/anomalies.Services would gradually keep slipping in status/salary and go down the drain despite sing song/ lip service by DM/PM ,due lack of practical action. Services would be frustrated and tired in the end.Ultimately unimaginable price may have to be paid for the folly by the Nation.

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  5. The Reddy Commission on OROP anomalies Report got a long marathon hurdle race over the RED TAPE bureaucrats field with no finish line.

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  6. Friends... Why wait for someone to write to the PM. If the PM is blind to the justified cause it does not mean that he can not see what is happening. It is because his advisors have made him that way... Please write on the PMs website directly and most probably he will see the point the friends out here are trying to make or bring out...

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    Replies
    1. Agreed. Denial of OROP is denial of whatever PM says or said- make in India, Swach Bharat or our credit rating. Services are aspirational.

      Delete
  7. Dear FRB, in fact I have a strong suspicion regarding your own intentions. Are you really an ESM. When commparing status parity, it perforce has to be between easy identifiable positions which can be understood by the people who matter. If status of officers improves it automatically has beneficial fallout on pbors status also. This is something that you do not appreciate.so that's why I doubt your credentials. Please do not try to spread this negativity in such forums. Keep away.

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    1. Are you men or officer. If you are a men get insight about yourself. If your are officer it is expected. Keep going. You cannot do anything neither increase penny nor decrease. what mater is your attitude. THERE are several men issues, did you see any an officer(military leadership not you) taking up the the thing other than your status and allowance.

      Delete
    2. Demand from Ex Veterans

      1. MSP of PBOR to be revised
      2. Bottom scales to be multiplied by index 3
      3. Diploma X group should start with a rank of JWO and 4 years after WO and cancell X gp pay system, with grade pay 4200 equal to civil( old)
      In army and navy, diploma personal are given JCO/PO, over the status and money they get X gp pay too.
      5. Either follow US AF pay system or come back to 3 or 4 CPC, in which JWO salary equal to an entry level officer. Day and night difference of Army and IAF in benifits. What a strange thing! it is
      6. Stop discrimination - in mess, canteen, Echs, accommodation etc. Never miss use men for there personal use.
      7. Stop officers ration
      8. In every officers are given much privileges over men and mem' status, salary, other issues Unheard . These all injustice are accumulated now and see the out burst of men in social media. Please Do not bow before military leaders. They are not sincere to their men.

      Delete
  8. Dear Sir
    Never before existing disability pensions were slashed and changed intentionally by the 7cpc for armed forces but not for the civilians. And Govt accepts it since they could save few pennies. Every one knows that existing pay/ pension cannot be reduced and there should be no separate rule for same class of people.Is this rank and status of armed forces.

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    Replies
    1. How many raised points are in favour of PBORs? Where is the respect of the oaths taken on the name of constitution? Thanks God, we have a civilian government. I request to PM sir, please discard all the colonial rules and more involvement of civilian officers on the defence matters. I have seen three pay commissions and every successive pay commissions have degraded the status of the PBORs. IHow many raised points are in favour of PBORs? Where is the respect of the oaths taken on the name of constitution? Thanks God, we have a civilian government. I request to PM sir, please discard all the colonial rules and more involvement of civilian officers on the defence matters. I have seen three pay commissions and every successive pay commissions have degraded the status of the PBORs. I can’t hope anything from this pay commission also. Ultimately the PBORs are not going to get anything. The demand for increase of MSP for the JCOs is an afterthought. Well calculated move. If out of ten demands this demand is not accepted by the government, the rest nine demands will benefit only a particular community.
      I have full faith on our PM and DM sir and also on all the bureaucrats. Please implement the 7th pay commission for the poor veterans as early as possible. We are in dire need of money to run our family as we get very very less pension and few thousands rupees as arrears will be always beneficial for us.

      I also request the electronic and print media, don’t always write articles for the officers. Think for the poor PBORs who are 97% in Armedforce and write some articles for them also. You will get more respect and the poor veterans will talk about you. Straighten your backbone and be impartial always and every time. can’t hope anything from this pay commission also. The demand for increase of MSP for the JCOs is an afterthought. Well calculated move. If out of ten demands this demand is not accepted by the government, the rest nine demands will benefit only a particular community.
      I have full faith on our PM and DM sir and also on all the bureaucrats. Please implement the 7th pay commission for the poor veterans as early as possible.

      I also request the electronic and print media, don’t always write articles for the officers. Think for the poor PBORs who are 97% in Armedforce and write some articles after understanding them. Straighten your backbone and be impartial always and every time.

      Delete
  9. today a news appeared in leading news paper regarding fin implecation on orop yet implemented. but ironicaly in the box of that news teachers ongoing strike at jharkhand for wantof pms intervention. where in india teachers are paid high salary indeed very few. schools are since privatised. all teachers are getting below 5000/- salary. equating this with af pers salary/pension is a mischievious attitude of print media. look things have gone such extent. very pathetic.

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  10. Mr Dayal says I quote "if status of officers improves it automatically has beneficial fall out on PBOR status also"... wah what a funny reply. Some times back in response to a blog a Sub Maj had written " I have put in 30 years of service and my son, 21 years just commissioned as Lt,got integrated into the system on day first and he is just picking up the rudiment of military service. I am just an 'outsider' still even after 30 years of service.What the author of this article wants to say about this British legacy?

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  11. Gen sahab ram ram ,

    It would be of great significance so as to question the sincerity ,sense of unity and integrity and even more sense of responsibility and accountability of IAS of this nation through the following:

    What was the intention of def Secy to delay IMPLEMENTATION of 7th CPC benefits to armed forces pensioners?

    What prompted def Secy to seek rank parity with armed forces offrs for his junior offrs at this juncture?

    Why def acct dept supplied fake/false data to 7th CPC,did he exercise his influence so as to downgrade top echlon of mil leadership?

    Why disability pension was questioned/made controversial?

    Why concerted objection of tri services chief was lightened?

    Through these questions:

    Kahin aisa to nahi,

    Vested interest/hostile designs have surfaced/penetrated IAS hence they intentionally trying to achieve downgradation and demoralisation in top mil leadership of the country.

    Time have come when retired mil community should question the monopolised immunity being enjoyed by IAS of this who have time again failed to deliver in critical sit like flood in chennai but shown ever interested to overpower other services like armed forces of the country.

    I am a proud sainik of Indian army who have full faith on leadership.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Besides ,press & media ,some persons (may or may not be veterans) are creating controversies on imaginary ,untenable ,& non-existant issues with in mily of different grades.!
    The blog owner ,a veteran (Sgt Menon),has created a great forum for one and all to facilitate several issues of mily.
    It is a great service .He should be appreciated ,rather than blaming him for not encouraging &supporting some jaganda type.
    Retrospect and come to terms with universal reality.

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  13. Dear sir,
    I am regret to say that officers are crying for himself only for NFU , Status equal to the IAS/IPS . You have nothing for the PBOR even a single word for upgradation status of PBOR. The Govt should not involve defence officers in any committee at all .
    PBOR's will not support at all .

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    Replies
    1. Mr B Singh are you part of Army if you are then you do not understand officer man relationship which can not be seprated since they play together and fight together .You seem to be part of such organisation where something is wrong between various echelons or where people do not work by discipline.Army has to be lead by Military leadership you want to dilute discipline so that people run away when crisis come in the way.You know Army is lead by officers from the front .Do you want to create subversion in Defence.

      Delete
  14. Dear sir ,
    Officers were singing in one tune SubMaj and JCO,s EQV ranks to be down graded it is becoming difficult to command by a commanding officer . British officers having no problem for any crime JCO's will be charge sheet by sub area commander now by commanding officer . Why not officers status to be downgraded ? officers may create problems to the elected Govt if having higher status than civil officers. They must be down graded only then JCO's and EQV ranks will be satisfied for tit for tat action .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Any one talking about British time Sub Maj ,JCO rank perhaps does not know the organisational structure .A Jawan reaches to the rank of JCO and Sub Maj by his hard work and even if he has more potential he can become commissioned officer .This British system ruled the world it is the responsibility of Nation to look after its soldiers.

      Delete
  15. Brothren remember no system, org and institution can neither function nor flrourish without leadership. We will have to abide and acknowledge the fact that officers are selected through a set rule provisioned under the constitution.we should respect them avoid to criticise in public platform like this.of course we have got every right to point out the humiliating conduct of officer community. I am optimistic enough to realise that the majority officers today maintain and try to live well within auth Protocol and command their teams accordingly as well.I

    ReplyDelete
  16. Dear Sir,
    Whoever is writing comments, differenting officers and men is not aware of their relationship.Armed forces specially Army is the way of soldier life .Here officers or PBOR are first soldiers and then comes their ranks which is demand of profession.Anyone who can have concern for its men is the officer either it is battlefield or peace. Therefore it seems a propaganda as a part of subversive act to create rift and demotivate army to break its morale.So any one talks separately for PBOR is not their wellwisher ,infact it is the intention to break wellknit structure of Army.

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    Replies
    1. Why discrimination then, using them as sevadaries at home, you go and learn the culture of other armed forcentre . For example US AF. Where is the love when you raise demand.

      Delete
    2. Mr Ram and Mr Akshay, Please do not mix up the importance of leadership of an organisation or your relationship as soldier in preaching. What is happening in armed force ,all of us are experiencing.
      In human , taking advantage of power given by the nation for the security of the country, highest discrimination, highest human rights violation are added with the leadership.

      For example.

      Using men, class 3 employees, as sevadaries, shame!
      Pay of MWO much lower than buddy officer,
      I never can see such discrimination in any organisation.
      15 yearS of service was okay, at least one can go out side and restore his carrier. But IAF cunningly extended initial engagement to 20 years. A diploma soldier is equal to a sepoy now, class 3 employee , not even equal to the status of civil diploma holder status in 20 years of initial engagement. Where is your affection and sympathy on soldiers taking up this matter.Did you ever bring such a huge injustice and such many other equivalents any where. Where as officers salary is much higher than civilian officers. You are worried about status! Here we are crying for survival! lack of self esteem, please study below and help in bring justice. Talk for them. Your status must be down and men status should go up now. See my my justification below. Ref USAF.

      Please study the US AF pay scale . Accordingly salary of MWO is higher than a Lt. Col and less than Group captain. They respect experience rather than paper qualification or competitive exams.

      Accordingly a buddy officer's salary is equal to a JWO/Nk Sub. CC commission can be from HAV onwards the way they are doing it now.
      25 years MWO's skills respected at par with Lt Col of 11-13 years.
      Now commissioned officers are enjoing time scales up to Col in 5 level a level 2nd Lt rank has been abolished. Earlier very hardly they became Lt. col before retirement.

      Similerly reduce the level/ rank of PBOR

      L1 - Training - AC, LAC is not a rank, classification only
      L2 - Naik/Cpl - this is the actual rank in IAF
      L3 - Hav/Sgt (and direct diploma entry)
      L4 - JWO/Nb Sub (off L1) Lt same salary
      L5 - WO/Sub (off L2) Capt
      L6 - MWO -3 (off L3) Maj)
      L7 - MWO-2 (off L4 Lt.Col)
      L8 - Chief MWO (O-5 ) Col)

      ( O- 6 Brig)
      ( O- 7 Major Gen)
      ( O- 8 Lt Gen)
      ( O- 9 Lt Gen app)
      ( O- 10 Gen )

      Please refer the salary of MWO with Lt.Col of US AF
      Please Search in google.
      Each buddy officer should work under WO for two years on probation.They do not know anything other than very old theory . Please follow other services or armed forces to know more about it

      Single mess, same toilet, mixed quarters, no separate queues. This is what US AF.
      Your discrimination one day will be quetioned.
      Wait for that day!

      Even Sgt flies aircrafts in RAF, need not be commissioned officers.

      Delete
  17. This story is for all those self proclaimed leaders who feel they are fighting against the tide (or any other worthwhile activity).

    THE STORY OF THE CRAB BUCKET

    One time a man was walking along the beach and say another man fishing in the surf with a bait bucket beside him. As he drew closer, he saw that the bait bucket had no lid and had live crabs inside.
    "Why don't you cover your bait bucket so the crabs won't escape?", he said.
    "You don't understand.", the man replied, "If there is one crab in the bucket it would surely crawl out very quickly. However, when there are many crabs in the bucket, if one tries to crawl up the side, the others grab hold of it and pull it back down so that it will share the same fate as the rest of them."

    So it is with people. If one tries to do something different, get better grades, improve herself, escape her environment, or dream big dreams, other people will try to drag her back down to share their fate.

    Moral of the story: Stop pulling each other ,,,, the day is not too far when we the 'Armed Forces Personnel' are going to loose all what we have left with.

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  18. dont worry. in our country dictatorial sense never work whoever think. only ballot power works. clouted democracy well aware of this. let anybody write. we can learn something out of it.

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  19. Very funny arguments no where to go

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  20. All those who think that present Govt ie PM Modi is not worried about status of Army and PM and RM are responsible for downgrading the status of Armed Forces are mistaken .RSS and those connected can not do so.Since the issue of OROP and status of Armed Forces was compromised since independence and it is first time that PM has tried to remove anomalies and implemented OROP.Any issue which is not still resolved will be resolved in due course since intention of PM and BJP is pro Armed Forces.
    In my opinion it is the strategy to sort out babus and others because public will back soldiers in its war of status against civilians.Lets wait and watch.

    ReplyDelete