With the issue of higher pay for Lieutenant Colonels resolved, the Armed Forces have written another letter to the Defence Ministry asking for clarification on their demand of equating Lt. Gen. and equivalent officers with Director General-level IPS officers.
The letter, sent to the Defence Secretary last month, says it is necessary to place Lt Gens in the Higher Adminis trative Grade (HAG) plus pay scales to give them parity with DG level officers of the IPS. The logic given is that till now, Lt Gen and DGP level offices had the same status and by moving the IPS officer to HAG plus, the status of the Armed Forces has been lowered.
The letter has been sent by the Principal Personnel Officers Committee (PPOC) to the Defence Secretary and contains a detailed argument, including the status of the two services from the Third Pay Commission onwards.
The Armed Forces say that level of work and responsibility shouldered by a Lt Gen is much more than that of a DGP and the two should at least be treated as equals.
“The senior-most DGP in a state has lesser number of people under his command and lower responsibilities than the junior most Lt Gen who will go and command a Corps. It is unfair that the Armed Forces officer will be treated lower than a DGP,” a senior officer said.
Indian Express dated 07/02/09 Delhi edition
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Armed Forces reject Pay proposal for Lt. Cols.
An attempt by Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to resolve the armed forces’ grievances over pay commission proposals has failed with the services rejecting its proposal to grant higher pay only to those Lieutenant Colonels who were in “combat” or “ready-tocombat” roles.
In a letter to the Defence Ministry, tri-services’ Principal Personnel Officers Committee chairman Vice Admiral D K Dewan said the armed forces wanted all Lieutenant Colonels to be placed under the Pay Band-4 including those on deputation to paramilitary and other services.
The letter said that the services and the rules governing them did not make any distinction and that all of the officers were performing combat/ready-to-combat jobs.
Dewan’s letter came in reply to a verbal query from the Defence Ministry on a December 31 PMO note that the government proposed to place only those Lt Cols serving in “combat/ready-to-combat” roles in Army, Navy and Air Force the Pay Band-4 benefits.
The PMO letter had said that those Lt Cols, currently on deputation to other services, would not get the Pay Band-4 scales, but the Pay Band-3 scales recommended by the Justice Srikrishna-led pay commission, till the time they return to their parent cadre.
“Even ships, units, establishments located in peace stations are always in operational readiness”, the letter said.
Noting that the Lt Cols and their equivalents (about 12,000) formed largest percentage of cadre strength with 13 to 26 years of service, Admiral Dewan said deputing them was an “inescapable” necessity in order to maintain a youthful profile of the fighting units.
(Published in Hidustan Times, New Delhi 30/01/09)
In a letter to the Defence Ministry, tri-services’ Principal Personnel Officers Committee chairman Vice Admiral D K Dewan said the armed forces wanted all Lieutenant Colonels to be placed under the Pay Band-4 including those on deputation to paramilitary and other services.
The letter said that the services and the rules governing them did not make any distinction and that all of the officers were performing combat/ready-to-combat jobs.
Dewan’s letter came in reply to a verbal query from the Defence Ministry on a December 31 PMO note that the government proposed to place only those Lt Cols serving in “combat/ready-to-combat” roles in Army, Navy and Air Force the Pay Band-4 benefits.
The PMO letter had said that those Lt Cols, currently on deputation to other services, would not get the Pay Band-4 scales, but the Pay Band-3 scales recommended by the Justice Srikrishna-led pay commission, till the time they return to their parent cadre.
“Even ships, units, establishments located in peace stations are always in operational readiness”, the letter said.
Noting that the Lt Cols and their equivalents (about 12,000) formed largest percentage of cadre strength with 13 to 26 years of service, Admiral Dewan said deputing them was an “inescapable” necessity in order to maintain a youthful profile of the fighting units.
(Published in Hidustan Times, New Delhi 30/01/09)
Friday, January 02, 2009
New Year Bonanza for Armed Forces
The Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday approved a separate pay commission for the armed forces. The Seventh Pay Commission for soldiers would be delinked from the civilian pay panel.
The decision comes after a committee, headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, submitted its report to review the concerns in the armed forces. The concerns were raised after the Sixth Pay Commission recommended placing lieutenant colonels and equivalent ranks in the Air Force and Navy at a lower pay band than their counterparts in the paramilitary/Group A services and IAS.
The government has also agreed to accommodate lieutenant colonels in a higher pay band (Pay Band 4) and increase their monthly salary by Rs 8000.
The PMO has has approved placing some 12000 lieutenant colonels in pay band 4. However, only lieutenant colonels performing a combat role would receive higher salaries. Another demand accepted by the PMO concerned personnel below officer rank, for whom the government would restore the 70 per cent pensionary weightage.
However, the government has not yet addressed the sweeping discontent in the military’s higher echelons over lieutenant generals and their equivalent being excluded from the higher pay band
The decision comes after a committee, headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, submitted its report to review the concerns in the armed forces. The concerns were raised after the Sixth Pay Commission recommended placing lieutenant colonels and equivalent ranks in the Air Force and Navy at a lower pay band than their counterparts in the paramilitary/Group A services and IAS.
The government has also agreed to accommodate lieutenant colonels in a higher pay band (Pay Band 4) and increase their monthly salary by Rs 8000.
The PMO has has approved placing some 12000 lieutenant colonels in pay band 4. However, only lieutenant colonels performing a combat role would receive higher salaries. Another demand accepted by the PMO concerned personnel below officer rank, for whom the government would restore the 70 per cent pensionary weightage.
However, the government has not yet addressed the sweeping discontent in the military’s higher echelons over lieutenant generals and their equivalent being excluded from the higher pay band
Monday, December 22, 2008
PM to clear Demands of Armed Forces
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is set to clear the demands of the armed forces on the sixth pay commission.
Officers of the Lieutenant Colonel rank will now get Rs. 10000 more than the present salary per month.
As per the new provisions, the three star officers will be at par with Director Generals of Police.
It also makes provisions for retiring jawans to continue to get pension equivalent to 70 per cent of their the last pay the draw.
However, the demand for pay parity between military and civilian officers has been rejected.
A ministerial committee, headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, was set up to look into the armed forces' grievance about pay anomalies. The committee, which also included Antony and Chidambaram, was set up by the Prime Minister on September 25 in the wake of deep resentment in the armed forces, who complained that there were anomalies in the sixth pay commission recommendations and that it had lowered the status of their officers.
(As reported by NDTV)
Officers of the Lieutenant Colonel rank will now get Rs. 10000 more than the present salary per month.
As per the new provisions, the three star officers will be at par with Director Generals of Police.
It also makes provisions for retiring jawans to continue to get pension equivalent to 70 per cent of their the last pay the draw.
However, the demand for pay parity between military and civilian officers has been rejected.
A ministerial committee, headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, was set up to look into the armed forces' grievance about pay anomalies. The committee, which also included Antony and Chidambaram, was set up by the Prime Minister on September 25 in the wake of deep resentment in the armed forces, who complained that there were anomalies in the sixth pay commission recommendations and that it had lowered the status of their officers.
(As reported by NDTV)
CPC HBA recommendation not implemented yet
The Economic downturn seems to be delaying the announcement of a new home loan policy for Central Government employees as recommended by the Sixth Central Pay Commission (CPC).
Known as the house building assistance (HBA), it’s a key interest-bearing advance given by the government to its employees to construct/acquire house/flats of their own. The HBA is given to all permanent employees, members of All India Services (IAS, IPS & IFS) deputed to the Central government, public sector undertakings (PSUs) under control of the Centre, international organisations, autonomous bodies etc. The advance is to assist acquiring a plot and constructing a house thereon, building a new house on a plot already owned singly or jointly with spouse, enlarging living accommodation in a house, purchase of a ready built house/flat etc.
According to existing rules, the cost of the house (excluding cost of land) should not exceed 134 times the basic pay (and dearness pay taken together) subject to a maximum of Rs 18 lakh and a minimum of Rs 7.5 lakh. Although this advance is interest bearing, it has an inherent subsidy since interest is has to be paid only after the principal has been repaid and simple interest is chargeable on the advance. The rates of interest, therefore, are somewhat lower than existing market rates.
The Sixth Central Pay Commission in its report said: “It is desirable to provide only for the element of interest subsidy and make available various interest bearing advances to government employees through arrangements with public sector banks. This will not only give the government employee the freedom to approach the specified bank for a loan but would also simplify the existing procedures saving a lot of administrative work which is presently being done in government offices for grant of loans and servicing thereof.” The CPC recommended the government should enter into an agreement with leading PSU banks to extend this facility at pre-determined competitive rates to its employees. The employee shall take the loans/advances directly from the bank with the approval of the sanctioning authority in the government and repay installments directly to the bank.
The Sixth CPC also said: “The eligibility for taking the advances should also be removed because the repaying capacity would, in any case, be consid ered by the concerned bank at the time of pro cessing the loan application. This will also extend to the ceiling of Rs 18 lakh presently prescribed on the cost of house for pur poses of house building advance. Therefore, this ceiling should also be removed.” But this policy has not been implemented till date. The Ministry of Finance in a notification dated October 24 said: “The implementation of the recommenda tions of the Sixth Central Pay Commission relating to interest bearing advances granted to government employees is under consideration of the government. Meanwhile, pending finalisation of the new arrangement, the existing provisions for interest-bearing advances to purchase motor car, motorcycle, scooter, moped and personal computer would continue to be in operation.” But it was silent on the HBA.
(Published in Hindustant Times, Delhi on 22/12/2008)
Known as the house building assistance (HBA), it’s a key interest-bearing advance given by the government to its employees to construct/acquire house/flats of their own. The HBA is given to all permanent employees, members of All India Services (IAS, IPS & IFS) deputed to the Central government, public sector undertakings (PSUs) under control of the Centre, international organisations, autonomous bodies etc. The advance is to assist acquiring a plot and constructing a house thereon, building a new house on a plot already owned singly or jointly with spouse, enlarging living accommodation in a house, purchase of a ready built house/flat etc.
According to existing rules, the cost of the house (excluding cost of land) should not exceed 134 times the basic pay (and dearness pay taken together) subject to a maximum of Rs 18 lakh and a minimum of Rs 7.5 lakh. Although this advance is interest bearing, it has an inherent subsidy since interest is has to be paid only after the principal has been repaid and simple interest is chargeable on the advance. The rates of interest, therefore, are somewhat lower than existing market rates.
The Sixth Central Pay Commission in its report said: “It is desirable to provide only for the element of interest subsidy and make available various interest bearing advances to government employees through arrangements with public sector banks. This will not only give the government employee the freedom to approach the specified bank for a loan but would also simplify the existing procedures saving a lot of administrative work which is presently being done in government offices for grant of loans and servicing thereof.” The CPC recommended the government should enter into an agreement with leading PSU banks to extend this facility at pre-determined competitive rates to its employees. The employee shall take the loans/advances directly from the bank with the approval of the sanctioning authority in the government and repay installments directly to the bank.
The Sixth CPC also said: “The eligibility for taking the advances should also be removed because the repaying capacity would, in any case, be consid ered by the concerned bank at the time of pro cessing the loan application. This will also extend to the ceiling of Rs 18 lakh presently prescribed on the cost of house for pur poses of house building advance. Therefore, this ceiling should also be removed.” But this policy has not been implemented till date. The Ministry of Finance in a notification dated October 24 said: “The implementation of the recommenda tions of the Sixth Central Pay Commission relating to interest bearing advances granted to government employees is under consideration of the government. Meanwhile, pending finalisation of the new arrangement, the existing provisions for interest-bearing advances to purchase motor car, motorcycle, scooter, moped and personal computer would continue to be in operation.” But it was silent on the HBA.
(Published in Hindustant Times, Delhi on 22/12/2008)
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