Pay issue to be resolved shortly : Mr. Pranab Mukherjee
Written by Administrator on October 15th, 2008A ministerial committee, set up to look into the armed forces’ grievance about pay “anomalies”, is likely to sort out the matter soon.
External affairs minister Mr Pranab Mukherjee, who heads the three-member committee, today said he had discussed the matter with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and defence minister Mr AK Antony.
“Shortly, I am going to discuss with the finance minister (P Chidambaram),” he told reporters here when asked about the issue.
Without giving details of his discussions with the Prime Minister, Mr Mukherjee merely said: “I do hope we will be able to sort out the issue shortly”.
The committee, which also includes Mr Antony and Mr Chidambaram, was set up by the Prime Minister on 25 September in the wake of deep resentment in the armed forces, who complained that there were “anomalies” in the 6th Pay Commission recommendations and that it had lowered the status of their officers.
After the government notification was issued on 29 August, the issues of “anomalies” in the pay for officers was first raised by Air chief Fali Homi Major in his letter in his capacity as acting chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC).
Chiefs of Navy and Army too have been voicing their resentment.
Mr Antony has strongly favoured resolution of core issues raised by the three services chiefs in their representation to the government. He wrote to Mr Chidambaram, raising issues of disparities”, including the ones relating to Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBORs).
October 15th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Every blog is talking about pay of LTCol but no body is talking about raising pay of similar ranks such as 2-i-c /comdt(jg) in paramilitary forces.These officers are doing equally difficult duties. Moreover MSP should be immediatly granted to all the paramilitary forces without any further delay.It is pertinent to mention that LTCol who used to command 1000 soldiers in early times is now commanding 100-150 soldiers whereas Defence is still quotin WOP of 1902 yr. Actualy LTCol of today is doing job nothing more than SUEBDAR/LT, THUS HE IS HIGHLY OVER PAID.
October 15th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
ya..
u r right thers Lt Col are doing a SUEBDAR/LT..
so ask services chief to permit those Lt col to leave Services to leave.
Don’t hold on to them.
Let SUEBDAR/LT run the show…..
so the Nation run as the people want it. WHY FIGHT FOR IT (it is 2 petty matter what is more relevant is taht the last saviour of teh nation Defence services should also go the way othere services are going)
May I please request to form a group and voice ur opnion and fight that all those who want to leave sholud be allowed to leave. (India is a free country why make Army a one way enrty).
October 15th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
As the only available Major in the unit, I was detailed to inquire into (and apportion blame) for a ’soldier run amok’ case in the neigbouring unit engaged in intense counter insurgency in J&K wherein there were 12 fatal casualties. Ironically, the bugger survived despite shooting himself in the neck! He finally shot himself for which there was another court of inquiry, but that’s another story). Since the event, I have often wondered how on earth could a first class combat soldier kill his very brethren for whom he had risked his life almost daily? Its only now, after browsing the net for the discussion of status and honour and the barbs (both, out of ingnorance and malice) for armed forces officers that , I think, I am beginning to get the idea.
October 15th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Proposed Armed Forces after 6th CPC
Recently we have seen the mutiny like situation created by Armed Forces after 6th CPC recommendations and implementations. In case the political and bureaucracy allows them to continue like this we may be heading for another Pakistan or Bangladesh. In order to save democracy and control the situation the following steps are suggested:
1. Cabinet Secretary to be upgraded to Principal Cabinet Secretary.
2. Defense Secretary to be upgraded to Cabinet Secretary.
3. Service Chiefs to be brought under the control of Cabinet Secretary.
4. Service personnel to be withdrawn completely from the mixed organizations.
5. In case service personnel occupy posts in the mixed organizations the personnel from all the streams should be paid same and should enjoy the same facilities and status as envisaged for the post.
6. Service personnel should be paid any amount as deemed fit while doing the duty for which they have been recruited.
7. During British period also as back as 1923 through Army instruction 1014 two types of payment schemes were envisaged. Para 10 of the Instruction very clearly speaks that in case Sappers and Miners officer (now corps of Engineers) employed in MES shall be paid at MES rates and shall be born on MES strength and vice versa.
8. The two rates of payment shall clear the confusion and the service personnel relieved from the mixed organizations shall fulfill the deficiency of the officers in the fighting formations.
9. Service personnel sitting in Delhi, Pune , Bangalore etc. should be stripped off MSP and other service benefits while doing the duty of a normal civilian personnel.
The above steps have become inescapable to contain the situation from becoming bad to worse. Hope political masters and bureaucrats shall take the suggestions in a right spirit and implement the same at the earliest
October 15th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
To Mr BP Singh :
Ignorance is bliss and may u continue to live in the paradise of darkness..the lesser said the better..plz do ur homework well before splurging here…By this sarcasm , i dont intend to disparage the efforts of para military forces but i am shocked to see the apathy of knowledge about parity and status..can u find out the basic pay of ur Comdt as per 5 SPC and compare them with Lt Cols. What were ur bosses doin before the Services Chies showed their spine…wake up and be decently aware of facts before u shoot (the words not the bullets )..
October 16th, 2008 at 1:57 am
@BPSingh..wish u were a Lt Col..
October 19th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Guys hold, somehow the notion is that the armed forces guys are equivalent to every other tom,dick & harry in central govt job. What a joke! Hello, these guys are flying the most sophisticate (and most demanding/dangerous) aeroplanes, fine tuning deadly armament on board state of the art war ships, sleeping with nukes in their stealth submarines, sharpening EW warfare equipments, evolving chahravyuhas for the armour battle of their lives, when artillery guns blaze, the weak hearted fall behind in the civvy street…then the real men pounce, the diamond in our crown is the infantry guy in with his rifle, staring death in the face- and they are the gentlemen to the core. Leave wars…and Kargil….who won J&K, Hyderabad & Goa? When the policy makers made a mess of everything in Sri Lanka, who stood up and paid with their lives? Who lands forces in Male to give you a tag of victor? A Lt Col/ Commander/Wing Commander is not a rank……they are this nation’s honoured soldiers, trained to fight the enemies. And this time they are fighting for their pride. Who can stop them?
October 19th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Its high time that our politicians should realise that this pressure tactics by the threeservices may take us to what it is in pakistan. The Lt in army in the present pay structure still get around Rs 10,000/- more than a 2ic (corresponding rank in paramilitary forces). The Government should consider this before finalising the pay. Also the working environment for a 2ic or for any officer or men in paramilitary forces are far deplorable than any army officer or jawan. Be it in Jammu and Kashmir, deserts of Rajasthan, thick forest of the Nirth East or in Rann of Gujrat. But unfortunately no one is listening to them as their mental balance has been calibered to such an extent they can not even think of their projecting problem. A Lt Col in army now a days command a company of about 120 men ( from Captain to Lt Col do almost the same work), this can be verified from the ground realities. A 2ic in a paramilitary forces command more thn 1100 personnel as no 2 in the unit. In case pay revision is made for the Lt col same should be given to the 2ic if not more.
October 21st, 2008 at 1:03 pm
I appreciate the guts of PMF officers in trying to compare themselves with mil.Their efforts in J&K and Assam is seen to be believed.In field areas where their jawans stay without families, officers on the quiet stay with their families in the nearest town. Their unit is run proxy by Inspectors.In dire situations they run for cover and approach the nearest mil camp for support and bailout. The reason is not far to fathom PMF officers lack officer like qualities and leadership.However senior a mil officer be he doesnot forget his bacics.If mil leadership is projecting the “anomalies”, it is because he has earned it and has the courage of conviction to do so. The mil deserves what they have projected for Lt Col & PBOR and I am confident that our nation will deliver it rightfully.
October 23rd, 2008 at 8:32 am
It apears most of our peopleare ignorant abot the organisation and the role of Defence FORCES . They are advised to learn more befoe next comment
January 16th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Almost all sections of defence force personnel, serving or retired, except the Godforsaken category of JCOs have been considered favorably by 5th and 6the CPC. asper 5 CPC, PBORs, upto the rank of Hav and equivalent had been given waitage, Jcos were not considered for this favour. An NCO whose pension as on 1-1-06 Rs.2185/- was raised to Rs.2359/- and aJco whose pension was Rs.2221/- was raised to Rs.2258- an increase of Rs.37 against the raise of Rs174/-of an NCO rsulting in higher pension being drawan than a JCO i.e with revision on 2006 a Jco who was drawing a higher pension than an NCO has been made to draw less. This against natural Justice. Why this was not taken up by any one remains a mystery; perhaps it is because there is no God father for Jcos. At least the respect due to the designation OFFICER in the rank should have been preserved rather than insulting it.
Will this point be noted and some action to rectify the anomaly be taken by the Committee headed by Hon. External Affairs Minister, please.