Exercise of Option – 7th CPC Notification of Army Pay Rules, 2017 i.r.o. PBORs

Provided that; 

(i) In the case of a Junior Commissioned Officer/ Other Rank who is, on the date of such notification or, as the case may be, date of such order, out of India on leave or deputation or foreign service or active service, the said option shall be exercised in writing so as to reach the Pay Accounts Office within one hundred and eighty days of the date of his taking charge of his post in India; 

and 

(ii) Where a Junior Commissioned Officer/ Other Rank is under suspension on the 1st day of January, 2016, the option may be exercised within one hundred and eighty days of the date of his return to his duty, if that date is later than the date prescribed in this sub-rule; 

(2) The option, along with an undertaking appended to these rules, shall be intimated by a Junior Commissioned Officer/ Other Rank to the Pay Accounts Office. 

(3) If the intimation regarding option is not received by the Pay Accounts Office within one hundred and eighty days of the date of notification of these rules, the Junior Commissioned Officer/ Other Rank shall be deemed to have elected to be governed by the revised pay structure with effect from the 1st day of January, 2016. 

(4) The option once exercised shall be final. 

Note 1.- Junior Commissioned Officers/ Other Ranks whose services were terminated on or after the 1st day of January, 2016 and who could not exercise the option within the prescribed time limit, on account of discharge on the expiry of the sanctioned strength, release, resignation, dismissal or discharge on disciplinary grounds, are entitled to exercise option under sub-rule (1). 

Note 2.- Junior Commissioned Officers/ Other Ranks who have died on or  after the 1st day of January, 2016 and could not exercise the option within the prescribed time limit, are deemed to have opted for the revised pay structure on and from the 1st day of January, 2016 or such later date as is beneficial to their dependents, if the revised pay structure is more favourable and in such cases, necessary action for payment of arrears shall be taken by the Pay Accounts Office or Depot Battalion or Record Office. 

Note 3.- Junior Commissioned Officers/ Other Ranks who were on Annual Leave or any other leave on the 1st day of January, 2016, which entitled them to leave salary, shall be entitled to exercise option under sub-rule (1).