Armed forces irked over Pay Commission report

There seems to be a basic information gap amongst some of the people submitting their comments regarding the "perks" being given to the defence personell. Before I clarify this point I wish to lay down some facts. When India got Independence in 1947 the pay of an Army Officer was approx seven times that of a civilian administrative officer.The Preamble of the constitution of India lists out who will be termed as the citizens of India, the first in the list is 'The President of India'ie the President is the First citizen of the country. I request all readers to procure the constitution and read how the listing of the citizens of India has been done and where did the makers of the constitution place the defence forces of the country.The only citizens of the country who are 'Comissioned' and recieve a parchment are defence personell. I suggest some who do not know the meaning of commission to look up a dictionary.Since time immemorial when there were no regular nations or armies , local tribal leaders and the like, had personal armies to defend their lands as also enforce laws. The 'soldiers' of these armies were provided with uniforms, food, lodging, pay (including share of loot), leave to visit their families once a year(generally during sowing/harvest season)all at the expense of the tribal chieften under whom they served. Similar concessions/perks/pay/previlages or whatever adjective one may wish to use are to date being followed by all armies in the world.One may reason why so? The answer is not difficult to guess, it is because every nation feels indebited to men in uniform who at the time of joining pledge their lives for the protection of the nation and its citizens, when a normal citizen is not even willing to pledge a part of their body/organs EVEN AFTER THEIR DEATH.
Often one has read about Canteen facility,free accomodation and free rations. I would like to clarify some misnomers Canteen facilities were started for troops deployed in inassiable areas for their daily needs. Units in far flung areas still maintain canteens only for this purpose. For information of many readers these canteens exist in steel trunks which are 'mobile' on horse backs and sometimes on porters. The canteens seen in many peace stations are later additions on 'government' orders to cater for 'civilians'working in the MOD,coast guard,Border Security force etc etc.(Just for some interested people defence forces, ie individuals who wear uniform and are part of MOD constitute barely 10%(or maybe less)balance 90% are civilians)Besides the government has similar shops for its other 'govt' employees only the are called cooperative shops, there are also exclusive shops /outlets for our elected representatives and babus within their work places.( and for your information items sold here are cheaper than the canteen)As regards free rations : all personell deployed in border areas or in disturbed areas be it an officer,or Personell below officer rank(PBOR) are anyways provided free rations. As of date almost 60 % of the army is deployed in such areas.PBOR irrespective of place of posting are provided free rations(PBOR constitute 95 % of the forces),so we are talking of free rations extended to 5 % of 40% of defence officers serving in peace stations at any time. If one was to sit down and calculate this in Nos it would be a negligable figure.The government provides houses with concessional rents, electricity and water charges to all its employees so why hold a similar concession against the defence forces. Government provides free medical through CGHS and free travel through LTC to all its employees so why the grudge similar facility for the defence personell?
The problem lies else where. Like some of the individuals have rightly commented, it is visualisation of the difficulties, living conditions,mental stress,physical health, the fear of the unknown that a person who has not gone through cannot comprehend. It is like asking some one to write an essay 'My first day on the moon" When one has not been to the moon what can you write except a make-belief story, and hoping that every one will believe you.

I have just gone through the comments made by many and am shocked by the comments of Mr Akhilesh.I am so shocked with his poor knowledge of facts and false mindset that i am forced to ask for the background of all this from him. I have no doubt that something about defence services is in his mind that disturbs him a lot.Such attitude is generally experienced with people who have huge inferiority complex or have been rejected by the service selection board.What ever the case may be i wish him all the best and hope he understands the logic by educating himself on the issue.

COL(Retd) I D SHARMA, It is also a problem with service people that they think everyone except service people is corrupt. They do'nt thibk about Barrak Missile purchase case or war room leak case like thing. I have not asked to you only why you have put your son in force but this is a question to all service officers who face hardship in performing their duties and still allow their issues to join services. Todays sky is open for education and jobs with so many facilities but no a service officer would like to put their sons and daughter in service job only because that job is easily available to them and is treated as Royal job. The kind of treatment a service officer gets is not available in any other field. And about your offer I w'd like to inform you that laks of civillion are living in Leh & Laddakh which face snow falls for about six months. At Leh their are civillion employees also but no one is getting the many allowances which their counterparts in forces are getting. I have also spent almost to month in that area that to extreme bad climate. Pl don't boast of only eating and doing nothing productive.Our sepoy are laying down their lives on officers every right and wrong command, I salute them. If an officer is not treating ill to their sepoy why there are so many cases of firing of officers by sepoy and suicide by sepoy? In technical services officers are well educated but what about executives? They are simple graduates or masters in arts in executives who go upto top levels. For technical officers sky is open for jobs in Pvt. Our Lt cols and Cols are getting job with good salary outside. And for those who ahave cmpleted twenty years they can get good amount of pension and can get very good service in open market. So they donot beg to the govt which is looking only parliamentry elections. Jai Hind.

My Dear Akhilesh,you have asked me why I allowed my sons to join army.I could not afford to pay bribes for their higher eduction which civilian friends of yours were demmanding.For your kind information I had served in Ranks for over seven years and retired as Director in the Min. of Def.Your knowledge of qualifications in the Army is outdated. Army officers are also post graduates in various fields including Tele communcations and Computer Software and Technology. You are absolutely wrong that sepoys are ill treated in the army. My dear sir a sepoy lays down his life on command of his officer and so is with officers.Their loyalty to their subordinates is some thing to be seen to be believed. But how will you know? Come clean with me Were you thrown out from N D A /I M A for indiscipline?
You have not replied to my offer, it is still open to you. Yours
Col (Retd) I D Sharma C Eng. FITE,ME.

Dear Col (Retd) D Sharma with the hardship you faced during your force service you advised your son to join army why? There are so much opportunities on the earth with open sky it is difficult to understand that a force officer tries to get job for his son/daughter in forces. Nowdays girls refuse to marry a Group 'A' Gazzetted officer saying that he can not purchase his own house in big cities and smart girls would like to marry a reputed company manager or IT officer why? It is beacause with proposed hike in the salary it may not be possible to feed & educate properly one's family and purcahsing a house of value Rs. fifty laks (2bhk) is only a dream nowdays. You uniform people treat everyone like your sepoy and juniors and write unparliamentry abusive languages to anyone and try to always prove your point correct. A simple Art graduate in Forces enjoy very good life treating their subordinate PBORs as slave. If the disciline is applicable to Jawans it is appilicable to officers also. Uniforms officers are using abusive language against many civillions (even against girls)in blogs which shows their discipline and patience. Pl think again and again and then advise. Jia Hind

My Dear Akhilesh,
If you are an adult?, here is an offer to you.I shall pay you a salary of of a Captain paid to the commander of a piquet called "BANA TOP" on Saltro ridge where my son served for 74 days at less than half the salary.You be there only for 60 days during winter season. I bet you will be a changed men Or a total mental wrack.Under both the above circumstances you will never ever comment the way you have done.Do not ever think only you are wise and others are fools.An engineer from a defenc establishment refused to accompany the equipment for winter trials with the troops beyond Leh. In 1988 he wanted to be insured for Rs 10 lakhs for fear of his death when officers were insured at their own cost by Army Group Insurance fund (A G I F )for one lakh only.When all other services Fail it is termed as system failure and the same Army officers are called upon to save persons like you.Think again God forbid ,if during an enemy attack there is a system failure in army, I shudder to think about it, you may.Leave it to the cabinet to take judicious decision.They are responsible men unlike you Mr.Akilesh, grow up.

Its unfortunte that persond who are not part of Armed forces are choosing to make such comments. Nation which can not look after its soldier has to answer its genrations ahead. Citizens who are voicing opinions desrving contempt, sitting in their hometowns with their families, or cities for whole of their life, taking 30/20/10 % HRA , who have not seen postings from Trivandrum to Srinagar or Hylong ,Tezpur should reserve their comments. When your child goes for board exam or for professional counselling and you are posted at a place from where, reaching home would take seven days even in present day world ,can not be realised by others. When you spend only five years out of your twenty years with your family it means a life time. Those who choose to propound mailcious comments need to realise Canteen gives 4-6 % discounts which you can only utilise if you have money. Would a person in civil street like to shock himself by comparing the bank balances of Armed Forces Officers and with a Sub Insp of even a state police
, Leave alone thinking of comparing them with IAS/IPS. If armed forces is paid out of the taxes ( Quote "all eat money from the taxes paid by Indian citizens") need to remember that forces officers are NOT repeat NOT exempt from taxes and they are the only INDIAN CITIZENS who come to rescue when all HAVE FAILED. Officer Messes are paid out of their salaries, Hill allowance is Rs300-1200 , this is for staying in a climate of sub zero temperature, helping to sustain posts which do not get supplies for months. THe nation and its citizens should introspect and if the nation cannot afford to pay the Armed forces Officer at least do not compromise with their respect. Its unfortunate that a forces officer who left MNC to join Forces at less than half the salary has to respond to few narrow minded selfish individuals who go by their imagination and word of mouyth before checking their facts and their CONSCIOUS . I some time wonder about the people writing in the blogs , If they will still speak so when there are riots or natural disasters or war when the life of their near and dear ones, wife children, parents can only be saved by that undeserving bunch of people in Armed Forces who have restrictions even on their fundamental rights which a normal citizen doesn't have. I am mor than optimistic evn after all this We the Officers and jawams of Indian armed forces would still serve by our oath and saves the very people who have chosen to loath us in recent past.

Why do people crib over a small bit of recognition given to Defence forces. Akhlish I do not know what is your proffesion but I can tell you that none of the top managers else where, leaders if at all else where can lead an educated lot to the face of death, only defence leaders can do so. Can you live for 45 days without seeing sunlight and smelling fresh air and still be normal, a defence personnal can do that. If one feels that defence is so well looked after why the son's of India are keen to join forces, ehy the mothers and fathers of this country are not willing to offer their sons to the defence of India. Akhilesh you say defence eats money from taxes paid by Indian citizens, I would say Defence eats just bread that is baught by their BLOOD. I challange you if you are "MAN" enough spend only "one" night at siachin glacier. Use your brain before making a comment sitting in a cosy air conditioned room. Do not forget that if you can make a comment like this on some one there are millions of defence personnal who are guarding the borders other wise we would have been in the era of "DOGs & Indians NOT permitted" By all means if defence is eating the tax paid by you abolish the forces and defend this Country on your own probably your tax would be saved.

With so many allowances to forces people I think their overall gain is more than all civillion officers. Uniform alloweance, Ration Allowance, Education alloawnce, Qualification Allowance, Hill Allowance, Orderly at home, Canteen facility so and so ... all eat money from the taxes paid by Indian citizens. It is pathetic to know that they are trying to get reduced the salaries of some less tears officers because everyone is not getting salaries equal to their counterparts getting in Pvt. Sector. Forces should compare their salary with pvt fellows not with govt employees. As equivalency claimed by them is a false calculation, the salaries of their equivalent rank officer should also be hiked in case the salries of Lt Col is hiked.

Army Generals cannot see this anomaly. Civilian Engineers in Corps of EME under Min. of Defence are not given Technical Allowance although they are doing all the duties on regular basis relative to training given in the YTO and Advanced courses for which Army personal are getting Technical Allowance

The protests from civilian lead to appointment of a committee under Cabinet Secretary K. Chandrashekhar to study the various demands for financial corrections post recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission, headed by Justice (retd) B.N. Srikrishna.

A lot of news has spread regarding ?raw deal/pay parity? to defence forces. The Forces are satisfied with Personnel below Officers Rank and bulk of officers cadre. It is Lt Col rank where pay disparity exists. They form the bulk of officers cadre. They lead troops to war/country insurgency and disaster management. This rank has maximum casualties? vis-?-vis strength.

There is lot of hue and cry by the bureaucrats against voice raised by Chief of Staff Committee regarding ?raw deal/pay disparity? to defence officers. Old pay scale S-23, 12000-375-18000 placed in New Pay band PB-3, 15600-39100 with grade pay of Rs 7600 and old pay scale S-24, 14300-400-18300 placed in New Pay band PB-4, 37400-6700 with grade pay of Rs 8700. Lt Col old pay scale is 15100(13500+1600)-400-18700(17100+1600). Decide where you would like to place Lt Col - PB-3 or PB-4. If your answer is PB-4, then the defence forces stand gets vindicated because the Sixth Pay commission has placed them in PB-3.

Will any service accept this? They would have gone to streets/strike/hunger strike/dharna and what not! Don?t take undue advantage because defence personnel are prohibited by law to voice their concern to media or resort to strikes. It is the responsibility of media and public to bring the correct position to the people and I am sure they will not hesitate in their duty. When Babus fail, you call us, be it national calamity, counter insurgency, rescue operation. It is time you raise our concerns.

This is further going to deplete the quality of in-take as no one would pursue defence as a career.

Please examine in this light and give your comments. Please don?t get influence by the bureaucrats.

HAS THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT DONE JUSTICE TO THE PENSIONERS?



The much awaited orders of the Central Govt revising the Pension of millions of Central Govt Pensioners have been issued in Memorandum F NO 38/37/08-P&PW[A] DT.1-9-2008 of the Ministry of Personnel,Public Grievances and Pension which is available in the website pensionersportal.gov.in. From the Pension Fitment Table available in the Memorandum, it is observed that only 50% of the Basic Pay [excluding 50% Dearness Pay effective from 1-4-2004] is taken as the Basic Pension .This Basic Pension is multiplied by 1.86 and 40% of this Basic Pension is added. This is the Consolidated [Revised]Pension with effect from 1-1-2006.
This Consolidated [Revised] Pension should not be less than 50% of the Minimum of the Corresponding Revised Pay Scale+Grade Pay according to the Pay Commission.It appears that in fact, these wordings have no effect at all with the Revised Scales of Pay corresponding to the Pre Revised Scales of Pay.
I desire to furnish a sample case for study.
An Officer drawing a Basic Pay of Rs 11,950/- in the Pay Scale of Rs 10,000-325-15,200 retired on 31-5-2004 is drawing a Basic Pension of Rs 8768/[including Dearness Pay] from 1-6-2004.The Commuted Amount from Pension is Rs 3507/-.The Residuary Pension is 5261/-.He was drawing Rs 7364/-from 1-1-2006 [Rs 5261+DA Rs 2103 [24%of Rs 8768/-]
The Pay Commission/Govt has taken 50% of Rs 11,950/- as Basic Pension and multiplied it by 1.86.[Rs5975x1.86].This comes to Rs 11,114/-.With this 40%[Rs 2390/-] of the Basic Pension , the Revised Pension of Rs13,504/-is arrived at..The Pay Commission /Govt has made it as Rs 13,505/-.
After deduction of the Commutation of Rs 3507, the Residuary Pension is Rs 9998/-from 1-1-2006..For the Revised Pension of Rs 13,505,there will be no Dearness Allowance from 1-1-2006 to 30-6-2006.The increase is Rs 2634/- [Rs 9998-7364] as on 1-1-2006.

WHAT IS THE ACTUAL PERCENTAGE OF INCREASE AS ON 1-1-2006 TO THE PENSIONERS?

It is only 35.7 % [2634x100/7364] as on 1-1-2006 and not 40% as much publicized by the Central Govt!



THE UNJUSTIFIED REVISED DA FORMULA WITH EFFECT FROM 1-1-2006!
Because of the unjustified Revised DA Formula of the Pay Commission, this increase of Rs 2634/ is not having cumulative effect but decreases to Rs 2464/ from 1-7-2006, Rs 2484/from1-1-2007, Rs 2327/from 1-7-2007,Rs1621/ from 1-1-2008 and Rs 2161/ from 1-7-2008! In this case,the existing Pension is Rs 8768/ and the Revised Pension is Rs 13505/-.We may approximately put the ratio as 2:3 and the increase in Pension is one third.Hence,the Percentage of existing percentage of DA should be reduced by one third or 33%.Has it been done accordingly?
Let us see below.
Existing Percentage.
5% from 1-7-2006,6% from 1-1-2007,6% from 1-7-2007,6% from 1-1-2008 .
Revised Percentage.
2% from 1-7-2006, 4%from 1-1-2007,3%from 1-7-2007 and 3% from 1-1-2008.
How then the DA was reduced to 2% instead of 3.5% from 1-7-2006, to 3% instead of 4% from 1-7-2007 and 3% instead of 4%?
So,the % of DA as on 1-1-2008 should be 15.5% and not 12%.We do not know the actual Prerevised % of DA as on 1-7-2008..The Correct DA formula should be fixed by the Central Govt.


WHAT WILL BE THE POSITION OF AN OFFICER DRAWING THE SAME PAY IN THE SAME SCALE WHO RETIRED ON OR AFTER 31-1-2006?

The Corresponding Revised Scale for the Pre Revised Scale of Rs 10000-325-15200 is 15600-39000 plus Grade Pay of Rs 6600/. His Pay will be fixed at Rs 28,830 [Rs22,230 plus Grade Pay of Rs 6600].as per Finance Ministry OM FNO1/1/2008 IC dt 30-8-2008.
He will get a Pension of Rs 14,415/- from 1-2-2006. He will get Rs 910/- more than the Officer who retired just before 1-1-2006!
WHY THIS DISPARITY WITHIN THE SAME SCALE?
WILL THE CENTRAL GOVT LOOK INTO THE ABOVE POINTS AND DO JUSTICE?