RE-FIXATION OF PAY OF OFFICERS OF AF

POINT NO 2& 3: RE-FIXATION OF PAY OF LT COL/COL/BRIG & GRADE PAY OF OFFICERS

The IV CPC introduced ‘Integrated pay scale’ for officers of the AF @ Rs 2300-100-3900-150-4200-EB-150-5100; and also the concept of ‘Rank Pay’ for offrs from the rank of Capt to Brig @ Rs 200 to 1200/- to be paid in addition to the revised pay arrived at. This rank pay was ‘carved’ out of the pay scale of the offrs thereby depressing the pay scale by an amount equal to rank pay. At the time of pay fixation an amount equal to rank pay was further deducted there by reducing their pay scales further as compared to civ services. By this the AF which were equated with IAS/IPS slid to being equivalent to Gp A services.

In the V CPC the integrated scale was abolished and rank based pay slabs were introduced for each rank. This revised scale was based on the depressed pay scale at IV CPC without taking into consideration the rank pay. Rank pay was doubled in the case of offrs from the rank of Capt to Brig @ Rs 400 to 2400/- .

The VI CPC abolished the ‘rank pay’ and introduced pay bands for all AF & Civ services with Grade pay to be paid in addition.

LOGIC FOR RE FIXATION: When you transit from one system of pay scales to another it is logical that the amount of rank pay which was carved out of the pay scale of officers should be merged back before carrying out refixation based on new pay bands as recommended by VI CPC. This was not done. The pay scale of offrs with corresponding Grade Pay’s were fixed in the pay bands without taking the rank pay into consideration upsetting the command structure in mixed org resulting in further lowering of status and pay scale of AF offrs starting with IV CPC. Each rank in the AF is a promotion to the next higher rank and at no stage can two ranks be clubbed in the same pay scale.

For example, the civil scale with start of Rs 15100 which is now in Pay Band – 4 which can be  compared with Lt Col’s scale with exactly similar start of Rs 15100 (13500 + Rank pay 1600) which is also in Pay Band – 4. If we compare these two scales, it can be seen that while the point to point fixation of a Lt Col with a start of Rs 15100 has been Rs 38530 in Pay Band – 4 with Grade pay of Rs 8000/-, the exactly similar corresponding civil officer with a start of Rs 15100 has been granted a fixation of Rs 39690 with GP of Rs 8700/-. Hence while a military officer with a 5^th pay commission start of Rs 15100 has been granted a pay fixation of Rs 38530, a civil officer with the same start of Rs 15100 has been placed on Rs 39690 as becomes clear from civil fitment tables for the scale starting with Rs 15100. This needs to be addressed and refixation carried out. This holds true for all other ranks.

So the correct fixation of pay of LT COL /COL/BRIG at 6 CPC would be:

LT COL 13500+1600 RP =15100 to Rs 39690/- in PB IV with grade pay of Rs 8700/-;

COL (15100+ 2000 RP) = 17100 to in PB IV @Rs  42120 and GP Rs 10000/-;

FIXATION OF PAY OF MAJ GENERAL / BRIG

The fixation of pay under IV & V CPC is controversial due to carving out of rank pay from the pay scales of offrs and thereafter deducting again at the time of fixation. The matter is subjudice awaiting final disposal orders in the Apex Court. Therefore to fix the pay scale of Brig would be incorrect and will lead to anomalies. Already there is case awaiting implementation where in  Brigs were drawing more pension than Maj Generals. It would therefore be appropriate to take the pay scales as existed at III CPC and fix the scales of Brig/Maj General with corresponding civ scales. Also Brig is a Higher Command rank with much greater responsibility and accountability. Proposed fixation for Brig/ Maj General would be in HAG/ HAG+ scale.

BRIG (16700+ 2400 RP) = 19100 to in HAG scale at Rs 67000- 79000/-.

MAJ GENERAL to be placed in HAG + scale at Rs 75500- Rs 80000/-

PAY FIXATION AND GRADE PAY FOR LT/CAPT/MAJOR

Traditionally Lt/Capt/ Major have been equated with Junior Time Scale (JTS)/Senior Time Scale (STS) and Junior Adm Grade (JAG). This should be maintained as given to IAS/IPS and the pay fixation should be same with same Grade Pay. Two additional increments should be granted at the time of pay fixation on promotion to the rank of Capt and Major as is being given to IAS/IPS. Like all other services the training period should be taken into account for pay and promotion.

PAY SCALE FOR LT/ CAPT/ MAJOR: PB 3 Rs 15600- Rs 39100/-

Grade Pay: LT Rs 5400/-; CAPT Rs 6600/-; MAJOR Rs 7600/-

No change in Military Service Pay is proposed till Seventh CPC

POINT NO 4: Pay Scale for Lt Generals

All Lt Generals should be given fixed salary of Rs 80000/-

A separate scale for Vice Chief’s/Army Cdr’s is recommended to be given. This could be Rs 90000/- . The scale of Service Chief’s should be increased to Rs One Lac. The scale of Cabinet Secy should also be increased to Rs One lac in line with service Chief’s

There is no supremacy involved. This is based on functional requirements which has taken a beating in recent times and needs to be restored.

POINT NO 5: COMMON SCALE FOR JCOs/ORs

Soldiering is a skilled profession. As of now there are two scales for JCOs/ORs as: PB1 Rs 5200-20200 and PB2 9300-34800. Both the pay bands are heavily skewed in favour of Civ employees who serve till 60 yrs as compared to JCOs/ORs who retire in their prime age of 37 -40 yrs and JCOs between 42-50 yrs. None of them will be able to reach their top of scale resulting in reduced pension due to early retirement with loss of earnings as compared to civs. Also due to age and rank based superannuation they cannot avail of the third assured career progression which all civs attain.

For example a Subedar on being promoted to Sub Major can serve only for 4 yrs at max and would retire. He will never reach top of PB2 at Rs 34800. Similar is the fate of Havaldar in PB1.

It is therefore prudent that a common scale be devised for JCOs/ORs with a higher start so that higher pension can be granted as a compensation for loss of earning due to early retirement. If in principle approval can be accorded for common scale for JCOs/ORs then the modalities can be worked out to the benefit of all ranks.

 

The Armed Forces are the last bastion of the nation. So therefore the armed forces personnel should get a higher start salary as compared to other CAPFs.(6650+GP2000). Also the CAPFs come under command of the armed forces when the Army is called for aid to civil auth / deployed for Ops. JCOs / ORs of the AF are classified into Gps X and Y with Gp X having an additional pay of Rs 1400/-. Gp Y should be abolished and the Gp Pay of X should be merged and given to all. Merger of Rs 1400 of X Gp pay with basic pay will increase the basic pay to Rs 8250/- in the pay band. If the request for increase in MSP by Rs 1000/- is also taken into account then it would be more prudent for all ranks of the AF from Sepoy to Subedar Major to be adjusted in a separate AF pay band of Rs 9300 to 25000.  No change in Grade pay is recommended. No change in Military Service Pay. This will ensure a higher pension also.