Pay commission: Services tone down after Parrikar’s assurance
Four key anomalies were flagged by the Services.
Following assurances from Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar that the service concerns would be addressed, the armed forces seem to have toned down their stand regarding implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission (SPC).
“The Services are satisfied with the response,” Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha who is also the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee said in a statement on Wednesday after meeting Mr. Parrikar.
The defence ministry had issued an order implementing the SPC on September 5 without the key issues addressed. Following this the three services expressed their severe displeasure on some of the provisions of the SPC which they say would further downgrade the status of the forces with respect to their civilian counterparts and police.
The services issued a note issued to all personnel stating that they were “constrained” to request the government to hold the implementation of the 7th pay commission award “in abeyance” in view of anomalies which need to be resolved.
Mr. Parrikar, who took the service note seriously, swiftly asked the three service chiefs to implement the notification in the present form and the anomalies highlighted by them would be addressed separately.
The SPC anomalies in respect of the armed forces were discussed with the Defence Minister in detail by the Service Chiefs and the members of the Armed Forces Pay Commission Cell, ACM Raha said and added: “The Defence Minister is seized of all the issues and has assured to resolve them at the earliest. The Services are satisfied with the response.”
There were speculations of a showdown between the government and the services following the note and Mr. Parrikar’s response. Defence officials that there was no confrontation and the note issued should not have gone out. “Changing the gazette notification is a tough task. Mr. Parrikar will take it up at the highest level,” one official said.
Four key anomalies flagged by the services are Non Functional Upgrade (NFU), NFU pay fixation, Military Service Pay (MSP), common pay matrix for civilian and military services and allowances.
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