By: Nitin A Gokhale
The current impasse over the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission award
for thethree armed forces will be resolved soon, Raksha Mantri Manohar Parrikar
has asserted.
Speaking to BharatShakti.in, Mr. Parrikar in his first
public comments over the deadlock said: “I am aware of the anomalies and
shortcomings in the award for the military. The Service Chiefs have also
briefed me again. I have assured them that I am confident of resolving issues
very soon,” he said in a brief chat this evening.
Mr Parrikar said the three Service Chiefs raising the issue with him is
not being viewed as defiance. “I only told them that we care for the forces and
all concerns raised by them will be addressed by taking them up with the Prime
Minister and the Finance Minister,” he added. The only way to find a solution
to these issues is discussion, Mr Parrikar said. “The Service Chiefs know that
I am using all the strength at my command to find a way out. You must
understand that I got the gazette notification announcing the 7th Pay Commission amended to make sure the
military retains its edge over the Central Armed Police Forces. Such a step has
never been taken ( to amend a gazette notification),” he pointed out.
Although he refused to put a timeline for the resolution of the
problems, the veryfact that the Raksha Mantri met the Prime Minister last night
and is understood to have apprised him of the all the points demonstrates the
seriousness with which the government is treating the issue. Unlike earlier
times, the issues will be resolved without delay, Mr Parrikar said.
Asked why were these issues not resolved before the notification was
issued, Mr.Parrikar pointed out that a cabinet notification cannot be corrected
before it isnotified. “The anomalies committees are meant to correct the
shortcomings,” he said.
He asserted that at least three of the four major anomalies over which
the serviceHQs are perturbed will be taken care of very soon. They are: 1. The
entry level pay suppression in the middle ranks; 2. Non-functional Upgrade
(NFU) and 3. Enhancement of Military Service Pay (MSP) for JCOs.
Experts on Pay Commission issue say one way of overcoming the problem
posed by no NFU to military personnel (an anomaly from the earlier Pay panel)
is to grant a onetime notional NFU for pay scale fixation in the armed forces
so as to maintain the equilibrium with other services.
Mr Parrikar pointed out that most of the other anomalies are also
carried over from the earlier Pay Commissions and will have to be taken up in
the two committees formed to resolve them.
The Raksha Mantri said he has asked the Service HQs to start
implementing the benefits of the 7th Pay Commission to the troops as soon as
possible. “The financial outgo of the corrections that will be made, is not
likely to be more than Rs 600 crores and can be given out later, he said.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nitin Gokhale has been a multimedia reporter since 1983. He has recently
made a transition from being a full-time journalist to becoming an author,
media trainer and researcher.
It is the same old story repeating itself. What was the need for the Chiefs to take a position and relent? Why weren't all the issues sorted out before implementing the recommendations? I am sure the players involved had all the time in the world! I am surprised to know the defence min or the PM were not aware of the views of the service chiefs all these days. Funny, at the highest level of the services, orders are first issued and amendments are considered later. This clearly shows the services are very weak and helpless in the scheme of things as exists in the county's defence establishment.
ReplyDeleteThere are many promises pending from the Raksha Mantri. Why he piles all these unnecessarily, he should learn to work to a schedule and clear all the promises he made in the past. 6CPC anomalies, rank pay, OROP anomalies, 33DL pension regularization and the 7CPC anomalies requires to be cleared by him. But he sleeps all through forgetting the meaning of the word 'SOON' which he often uses.
ReplyDeleteIt is very sad to note that even a single agenda for the benefit of other ranks is not mooted by the chiefs(thieves), only they have forwarded their points of anomaly, it is gross injustice done to the soldiers
ReplyDeletewe want MSP to equal rs 15000 from sep to brigadier level
a soldier enrolled as sepoy is to retire as a sepoy or maximum havildar, how many steps officers are having from second lieutenant to maximum brigadier, why then non functional upgradation is denied to other ranks
yet another thing hardship allowances when threat and effect of inclement weather affects the human being evenly regardless of rank status, the nature does not discriminate why the chiefs failed to fulfil their promises first nation second men serving under them third officers welfare, in this case order is reverse
a representative from each rank should participate in the anomaly committee