Date:27/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/27/stories/2008092760101200.htm

National

‘Black Diwali’ for armed forces

Sandeep Dikshit

NEW DELHI: It will be a ‘Black Diwali’ for the armed forces as they have refused to accept the new pay scales till the anomalies are corrected. Other Central services, including the Indian Police Service (IPS), are awaiting word from the government on their plea for rectification of defects in the Sixth Pay Commission’s pay scales.

While the armed forces have refused to accept the revised salaries that were to be given this month, IPS officers too will continue to draw the old pay scales.

“Set right anomalies”

The three service chiefs have refused to accept the revised salaries till the anomalies, especially for the ranks of Lieutenant Colonels and Lieutenant Generals are corrected.

The intense feeling of having been let down at the Lt. Col level in all the three services prompted the service chiefs not to implement the Pay Commission’s recommendations across all ranks.

The service chiefs are wary of getting their grievances addressed by bureaucrats and want a decision at the political level. The distrust with civilian officers has its genesis with the formation of the Pay Commission when the services pointed out that retired and serving personnel formed the largest component of Central government employees. Therefore, they pleaded for representation in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS)-dominated Sixth Pay Commission by pointing out that civilians would not be able to grasp the circumstances in which armed forces personnel operated. However, their demand was rejected.

Since then, they again felt short-changed by the bureaucracy when a review committee was set up to look into their complaints over the pay scales recommended by the Commission.

This review panel, again comprising IAS officers, failed to measure up to their expectations.

Since then, Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee Admiral Sureesh Mehta and the other two service chiefs have separately approached the Prime Minister for redressal.

As The Hindu reported on Wednesday, Mr. Antony wrote to the Prime Minister after he received word that the armed forces would not implement the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations after the Finance Ministry rejected their demands without giving any reason.