Government agrees to separate pay commission for armed forces
Written by Administrator on January 1st, 2009Giving in to the armed forces’ clamour for a separate pay commission, the government has agreed to delink the pay revision of defence personnel from the civilian employees – when the exercise is undertaken some five years hence, a senior official said Thursday. However, a formal notification on this is yet to be issued.
While agreeing to give more pay to lieutenant-colonels in the Indian Army and their equivalents in the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force, the Prime Minister’s Office Wednesday sent a letter to the cabinet secretary informing him about the decision on a separate pay commission.
“The government has agreed that in future, pay revision of the armed forces should be de-linked from that of civilians. A separate board or commission will be set up for pay revision of the armed forces,” the official told IANS.
The government has also decided that lieutenant-colonels deployed on “combat or ready-to-combat” duties in their parent service may be placed in pay band four (Rs.37,400-67,000) – one step higher than the Sixth Pay Commission recommended in its report last year.
“Lieutenant-colonels on deputation will get the scale when they return to their parent service,” the official said.
The armed forces had sought upgradation of the lieutenant-colonels – nearly 12,000 in number – to the higher pay band in the interest of synergy between the armed forces, the paramilitary forces and the civilian bureaucracy. Lieutenant-colonels will now be senior to deputy secretaries but junior to directors to the government.
However, the armed forces have greeted the decision with skepticism.
“The Service headquarters are yet to receive any formal information of the decision. Moreover, the terms ‘combat’ and ‘ready-to-combat’ have yet to be defined,” a senior army officer said, requesting not to be named.
“Lieutenant-colonels are being posted to field and peace areas on a rotation basis. So it is not clear whether the personnel posted in peace areas will receive the benefits or not,” the officer added.
The government has also decided to set up a high-powered committee to resolve issues relating to command and control functions and the status of the armed forces vis-à-vis the paramilitary and civilian government employees, the defence official added.
With this the government has accepted two of the “core issues” of the armed forces, including upgrading of the lieutenant-colonels to a higher pay band and enhancing of pension to personnel below officer rank (PBOR).
However, the PMO letter is silent on one other issue: including officers of the rank of lieutenant-general and equivalent in the Higher Administrative Grade (HAG) Plus category that has been created in all government departments except the armed forces.
Directors-general of police, whose rank is equivalent to that of a lieutenant-general, have been placed in the HAG Plus category.
The report of the Sixth Pay Commission, headed by Justice (retd) B.N. Srikrishna, was submitted to then finance minister P. Chidambaram March 24. Chidambaram is now the home minister, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh holds the finance portfolio.
The Six Pay Commission report led to protests from both civilian and defence personnel, with the Service chiefs submitting a joint memorandum and making a presentation to Defence Minister A.K. Antony.
Following this, the government appointed a committee under Cabinet Secretary K. Chandrashekhar to study the various demands for financial corrections. The PMO letter is based on the recommendations of this committee.
January 1st, 2009 at 10:54 pm
It was really ridiculous to read the rider (combat ready/ready for combat) that has been put while accepting the PB-4 status for Lt Cols. Its seems to be yet another beauracratic mischief. What do you mean by that? Postings of all officers is governed/controlled by the Army HQ to serve the overall organisational interest. Officers do not choose their posting. So what does it mean by saying “Combat ready”. All officers are combat ready irrespective of their place of posting. Does it mean that if there is a war now, then all those officers who are posted elsewhere shall not be required to take part in the war as they are being given PB-3? Its high time that the forces take a very serious note of this kind of a subversive mischief that is continuously being played by the beuracracy so as lower the moral of Armed Forces.
January 6th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
Govt agree to give more pay to lieutenant-colonels in the Indian Army and their equivalents in the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force.Yes it is very nice but anybody has think about a PBOR whose old pay scale was 5000-100-6500 and he is placed in PB-I with grade pay 2800. And a civillian whose old pay scale is 5000-8000 he is placed placed in PB-II.Even a civillian whose old pay scale was 3200-4900 he is upgraded and and placed in PB-II.So what is the matter CPC want to degrade PBOR or what ?
January 31st, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Yes raja I agree with you how PBOR are degraded:-
Sl
No Post Present Scale Revised Pay
Scale Corresponding Pay
Band & Grade Pay Para No
of the
Report
Pay Band Grade Pay
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)
I OFFICE STAFF OUT SIDE THE SECRETARIAT
1 Head Clerk/
Asst./
Steno Gr.II/
equivalent 4500-7000
5000-8000 6500-10500 PB -2 4200 3.1.14
II FIRE FIGHTING STAFF
1. Station Fire Officer 4000-6000 4500-7000 PB-1 2800
2. Asst Divisional
Fire Officer 5000-8000 6500-10500 PB-2 4200 3.8.12
III NURSING STAFF
Staff Nurse 5000-8000 7400-11500 PB-2 4600
IV TEACHERS
Primary School
Teacher GrIII
4500-7000
GRIII
6500-10500 PB-2 4200 3.8.22
V MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS & IT DEPARTMENT POSTS
Technical Supervisor in Mail
Motor Service 4500-7000 5000-8000 PB-2 4200 7.6.8
Artisan Grade I in Mail
Motor Service 4000-6000 4500-7000 PB-1 2800
VI MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS,FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Technical Asst in
Directorate of Sugar 4500-7000 6500-10500 PB-2 4200 7.12.13
VII MINISTRY OF DEFENCE Department of Defence
Machineman/ Operator Offset 4500-7000 5000-8000 PB-2 4200 7.10.17
VIII COAST GUARD ORGANISATION(General Duty Branch)
Pradhan Navik 3200-4900 4500-7000 PB-1 2800 7.10.26
IX COAST GUARD ORGANISATION(Aviation Branch)
Pradhan Navik) 3200-4900 4500-7000 PB-1 2800 7.10.26
X MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES
Tech Asst in Centre for Marine Living Resources & Ecology, Kochi 4500-7000 6500-10000 PB-2 4200 7.12.27
XI MIN OF FINANCE (Department of Economic Affairs)
Asst class II Calcutta Mint 3050-4590 4500-7000 PB-1 2800 7.15.8
XII MIN OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE
Medical Supervisor/Health
Visitor 4000-6000 4500-7000 PB-1 2800 7.17.11
XIII MIN OF HOME AFFAIRS
ASI in CPMF’s 4000-6000 4500-7000 PB-1 2800 7.19.35
ASI in DP 4000-6000 4500-7000 PB-1 2800 7.19.50
Jr Intelligence Officer GrI in IB 4000-6000 4500-7000 PB-1 2800 7.19.62
IVX MIN OF PERSNNEL,PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
ASI in CBI 4000-6000 4500-7000 PB-1 2800 7.32.18
XV MIN OF POWER
Professional/
Statistical Asst 4500-7000 5000-8000 PB-2 4200 7.35.2
XVI MIN OF POWER SHIPPING,ROAD TRANSPORT & HIGHWAYS
Overseer in Border
Roads Organisation 3200-4900 5000-8000 PB-2 4200 7.39.22
Suppt Grade II in Civil,Electrical & Mech Engineering 4500-7000 5000-8000 PB-2 4200 7.39.23
Foreman Supt
(Fire) 4000-6000 4500-7000 PB-1 2800 7.39.28
XVII MIN OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT
UDC Incharge 4500-7000 5000-8000 PB-2 4200 7.46.31
DOWN GRADED SCALE
XVIII AIR FORCE
Sergeant
( X Group) 5000-6500 4500-7000 PB-1 2800
January 31st, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Yes raja I agree with you how PBOR are degraded:-
SlNo Post PresentScale UpGradedScale RevisedPayScale PayBand Grade Pay ParaNo of theReport
Pay Band Grade Pay
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)
I OFFICE STAFF OUT SIDE THE SECRETARIAT
1 Head Clerk/ 4500-7000 6500-10500 PB -2 4200 3.1.14
Asst./ 5000-8000
Steno Gr.II/
equivalent
II FIRE FIGHTING STAFF
1. Station 4000-6000 4500-7000 PB-1 2800
Fire Officer
2. Asst Divisional
Fire Officer 5000-8000 6500-10500 PB-2 4200 3.8.12
III NURSING STAFF
Staff Nurse 5000-8000 7400-11500 PB-2 4600
IV TEACHERS 4500-7000 6500-10500 PB-2 4200 3.8.22
Primary School
Teacher GrIII
V MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS & IT DEPARTMENT POSTS
Technical 4500-7000 5000-8000 PB-2 4200 7.6.8
Supervisor
in Mail
Motor
Service
( And so many more like that)
DOWN GRADED SCALE
INDIAN AIR FORCE
Sergeant 5000-6500 4500-7000 PB-1 2800