Defence employees still unhappy

NEW DELHI, July 19: Despite both the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister assuring the Armed Forces that their interests would be safegu...

NEW DELHI, July 19: Despite both the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister assuring the Armed Forces that their interests would be safeguarded in the Fifth Central Pay Commission (CPC) implementation, they have not done so, opine Major General (retd) SC Suri and Brigadier (retd) S P Sibal, who have studied the recommendations.

The CPC has disproportionately highlighted salary hikes for Brigadier/equivalent ranks who constitute 0.2 % of the cadre strength.

Moreover, the CPC has cleverly concealed the glaring disparity that a Brigadier with 29-30 years gets lesser pay than his civilian counterpart having 16 years service, including one year training period.

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Also increases in Siachen allowance, submarine allowance and fighter flying allowance benefit only 0.01 % of the total strength Armed Forces manpower strength.

On the other hand, information about a 3.2 times increase in the allowance granted to bureaucrats has been suppressed, as also the additional allowance given to them in the Northeast/Sikkim.

The CPC had given a landmark recommendation granting almost near parity in military pensions for past pensioners, to mitigate the genuine problems of veteran soldiers. In 1992 a one-time increase’ was given to the Armed Forces up to the rank of Colonel and was not made applicable to civilians.

However, the government has rejected this most important relief for pensioners and instead succumbed to pressures from Unions to increase Group D employees’ salaries by Rs 400 per month over and above CPC recommendations. The government has rejected the CPC suggestion that pensions would have to be made post tax’ which would have amounted to Rs 13 crore.

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The deputation (general duty tenure) allowance authorised to all state cadre All-India Service officers at 15 per cent of pay has been extended to all officers which was previously authorised only up to Directors’ level. This would be Rs 3,900 pm and Rs 4,500 pm in the case of Secretaries and Cabinet Secretary. Whereas the maximum field service allowance recommended is Rs 1,300 pm.

Another anomaly pertains to the CPC which recommends 13 months pay in a year for the para-military forces like the BSF, CRPF, ITBP and Assam Rifles. The argument that military men get two months leave is untenable.

Although the matric entry rate of pay appears to have been extended to soldiers does not prove adequate given their truncated career, service in harsh areas facing extreme hazards, turbulence and separation from families.

In addition, the armed forces could be compensated with 25 per cent of their basic pay as military service pay to compensate for adverse service conditions.

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Assured career progression scheme guarantees two automatic promotions for civilians in group C after 10 and 20 years. But for soldiers, sailors and airmen, the second promotion has been recommended only for substantive’ Naiks. All civilian group A cadres are assured guaranteed financial upgradation’ on completion of four, eight and 13 years service. This concept has been recommended for the military also but cannot be achieved due to high rate of supersessions, fixed pay structure and longer span of service in each rank.