On Wednesday, the three service chiefs, led by Admiral Nirmal Verma, Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC) met with a high-powered Committee of Secretaries constituted by the Prime Minister to resolve anomalies in the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission award for the Armed Forces and One Rank One Pension issue.
Although a total of 39 anomalies have been identified by the three services since 2008, they have decided to concentrate on some core issues that directly affect both serving and retired armed forces personnel.
The issues are:
- Fixing common pay scales for all JCOs and ORs
- Grant of NFU (non-functional upgradation) status to commissioned officers
- Correcting difference in rank pay of commissioned officers
- Extending the HAG+ (Higher administrative Grade Plus) scale to all three star officers
- Granting One-Rank-One-Pension to retired personnel
There have been strong demands from ex-servicemen and from acting servicemen for One-Rank-One-Pay. And to push for their demands further, the three Service chiefs, led by Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, Naval chief Admiral Nirmal Verma, along with his colleagues, Chief of Air Staff ACM, NAK Browne and Army Chief General Bikram Singh gave a detailed presentation to the Committee of Secretaries on Wednesday.
The six-member committee, comprising the Cabinet Secretary with the Defence Secretary, Secretary Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Secretary DoPT, Expenditure Secretary and Principal Secretary to PM, as members was set up by the Prime Minister after a Rajya Sabha panel last year recommended granting One Rank One Pension to the retired defence personnel. The government has asked the committee to submit its report by August 8.
There is a buzz in the corridors of power that the Prime Minister wants to make a grand announcement from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15 and therefore the deadline of August 8!
For the uninitiated, the One-Rank-One-Pay scheme implies that uniform pension be paid to the armed forces personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service irrespective of their date of retirement, and any future enhancement in the rates of pension be automatically passed on to past pensioners.
But the issue that has upset and angered serving defence personnel is NFU.
For those not in uniform it needs a bit of an explanation.
Buckling under pressure from Group A organised Services under the Central Government like Border Roads Organisation, Military Engineering Services, Postal Services, the Sixth Pay Commission gave them a special concession.
It allowed the officers in these services to be placed in a grade pay scale equivalent to an IAS officer two years behind that particular IAS batch. For example if the 1992 batch of the IAS officer got placed in the Joint Secretary grade in 2012, all Group A organised officers of the 1990 batch would automatically get the pay and allowance equivalent to the 1992 IAS batch, irrespective of the post and place they are serving in. That is the upgradation will be done on a ‘non-functional’ basis.
This has brought in huge functional problems in day-to-day affairs when military officers have to work in close coordination with MES Civil Officers, BRO Civil Officers, IPS Officers in BSF, CRPF, ITBP, Defence Accts (IDAS), Test Audit (IA&AS), Ordnance Factory Board etc, with whom Defence forces officers interact regularly, will now get the salary and grade pay of Joint Secretary/Major General (Grade Pay Rs. 10000/-) after 22 years of service, and will draw the pay of Additional Secretary to Government of India which is equal to a Lieutenant General (Grade Pay Rs.12000/-) in 32 years of service whereas military officers senior to them in rank and service will get less grade pay at the same level of service thereby creating a functional disparity giving rise to insubordination and subtle non-compliance.
Military officials have pointed out that this has adversely affected organisational command and control in multi cadre environment. It also led to lowering the status of Armed Forces Officials vis-a-vis organized Group A officers and IPS Officers. Organised Group A and IPS Officers reach HAG (Higher Administrative Grade) Scale at 32 years while only 0.2 per cent of Armed Forces Officers can ever reach that level.
With over 97 per cent Armed Forces Officers retiring in the Grade Pay of 8700, their exclusion from the NFU is seen as grossly unfair. This differential not only disturbs financial parity, it pushes down the Defence services in status as even direct recruit officers of Group B services attain a better pay and promotional avenue and manage to reach the level of Joint Secretary/Major General before retiring.
Both the OROP and granting the NFU status to Armed Forces officials is not going to be expensive either.
According to calculations done by the military, the annual outgo for granting One -Rank-One-Pension to the approximately 21 lakh ex-servicemen would not be more than Rs. 1300 crore. Similarly the NFU status, if granted, will cost the exchequer a mere Rs. 70 crore annually but will go a long way in restoring the pride and status of the armed forces’ officers.
The other core issues are minor in comparison but important nevertheless.
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COMMENTS
Very true…!
Right kind of advice
Sir, I am also an exservicemen retired from Indian Navy as a Petty Officer.One Thing I Have done good s that I left the Armed forces and presently employed in PSU Bank(IOB). What would advce to a all youth never jon armed forces. This Govt can never do good for the Servce personnel and ex servicemens those who have sacrifced everything for this nation. I would never allow my son to join any uniformed servce civil life is comfortable and well paid
absolutely true,otherwise let it be made compulsory for every one to serve in defence service then to civil
second is always officers of all the aarmed forces get more benefits either in pay increase or allowances and none is represented to say about personnel below officer rank
i too will advise others not to send their children in defence services
Sir, You have done mistake of joining Armed Forces in INDIA. Please advise all the relatives not to join AFS in INDIA. A civilan retiring after 24 years of service in Gp C class in Govt. gets 15-20 Lakhs as Gratuity, Commutation, Leave Encashment, GPF etc. and gets pension of Basic Rs. 13,110/- P.M.
From : Honorary Naib Subedar Vijai Kumar
Dudi Bhawan Jawaharnagar, Rly Stn ke samne,
Village & Post Office – Mandi Adampur
District- Hisar (Haryana)-125052
E-mail : [email protected]
Mobile No – 09871081782
Respected Sir,
1. I, No 2879637W Honorary Naib Subedar Vijai Kumar have served in the Indian Army (in The Rajputana Rifles) for 24 years & 02 days in 'Y' Groupwith an Exemplary Character (w.e.f.. 30/10/1982 to 31/10/2006) and retired on 31 October 2006 (A/N).
2. The following service & pension particulars is submitted herewith for your perusal and necessary favourable action please :-
a. My last basic pay was Rs 4700/-, DP Rs 2400/-, Classification Pay was Rs 100/-.
b. Total leave encashment period was – 120 days.
c. Basic pension fixed on 01/11/2006 was Rs 3529/-.
d. New pension has fixed Rs 7750/-.
e. Total Gratuity has received Rs 170208/- till date.
f. Total capitalise value has received Rs 530158/- till date (@ 50 % commuted portion of pension).
g. Total leave encashment was received Rs 36780/- till date.
h. Records – RAJ RIF, DELHI CANTT – 110010.
j. Original PPO No – S/029763/2006(ARMY) issued on 30/06/2006.
k. Corrigendum PPOs issued to me till date is as under –
aa. S/COR/032767/2006(ARMY) dated 21/11/2006.
ab. S/CORR/023552/2007(ARMY) dated 25/05/2007.
ac. S/CORR/161493/2009(ARMY) dated 31/07/2009.
ad. S/CORR/225039/2010(ARMY) dated 02/04/2010.
ae. S/CORR/039335/2010(ARMY) dated 19/10/2010.
af. Bank details – Punjab National Bank, Mandi Adampur, District – Hisar (Haryana) – 125052. A/C No – 2994001301104170 code No – 2994.
3. Please provide the following details which has effected for me and also clarify regarding entitlement for Honorary Naib Subedar as per 6th Central Pay Commission Award :-
a. Last basic pay should be as per 6th CPC Award.
b. Arrears should be of pay & allowances w.e.f.. 01/01/2006 to 31/10/2006 as per 6th CPC Award.
c. Arrears should be of leave encashment for 120 days as per 6th CPC Award.
d. Basic pension should be fixed on 01/11/2006 as per 6th CPC Award.
e. Arrears should be of pension w.e.f. 01/11/06 to till date as per 6th CPC Award.
f. Gratuity should be as per 6th CPC Award.
g. Commutation value as per 6th CPC Award (@ 50 % commuted of portion of pension).
4. In view of the above, please do the needful and provide all the above require details at the earliest. I shall be highly oblige. Your anticipation is highly appreciated. Thanking you sir.
Yours faithfully,
Honorary Naib Subedar Vijai Kumar Dudi