Response to Cabinet Secretary's difficulty to ensure Pay Parity for the Armed Forces

Dear Members of the Press,

1. This has reference to News Item in you Paper at Pay parity for armed forces a difficult task, says Govt by Achinta Borah dated 24 Nov 2008. The Cabinet Secretary has stated that it is difficult to give pay parity to the Defence Forces.

2. We are rather shocked to read the above statement of Cabinet Secretary KM Chandersekhar. Instead of appreciating the genuine demands put up by the three Chiefs and Ex Servicemen, he has chosen to throw a red herring in the case. A Committee of Group of three Ministers ordered by the PM to go into the complete gamut of the anomalies for which the Defence Forces have been agitated since the submission of the 6th CPC has not adhered to the schedule of submitting the report by 31 Oct 08; the selective leak to the press by the Cabinet Secretary is unjustified. The reasons for non compliance of the PMs instructions are not understood. Have we reached such low levels of Governance? What is difficult, in giving pay parity to the forces has not been substantiated by Cabinet Secretary. What can be so glaring anomalous than the one projected by the three Chiefs and Ex servicemen? How can an officer who was drawing Rs 800 per month more than the civil servants has been placed to get Rs 14000/-less per month in the 6th CPC award? Similarly, how can a Lt Gen who was ahead of DG Police till now could draw less pay and have a lower status? What is difficult in this? The Govt has to just correct these anomalies. In fact what the Defence Forces must get is the restoration of Status and Emoluments that existed in 1947 brought to update. This is the clear cut genuine demand of Defence Forces.

3. The pension orders issued on 14 Nov 2008 are no where near their demands. Instead of granting One Rank One Pension (OROP), the Govt has ordered One Rank Many Pensions. It has created many classes in One Class which is violating the provisions of Article 14 of the constitution as observed by Supreme Court in a ruling given on 09 Sep 2008 in the case of Major Generals. The Govt left to its ineptness has created for itself a very difficult situation, a Havildar will get less pension than a Sepoy and Lt Gen will get less pension than a Colonel. What a joke?

4. Will the Govt act fast and correct all these serious anomalies immediately, lest it be too late, as the time is running out.

With Kind Regards,
Yours Sincerely,
Maj Gen Satbir Singh, SM

The author is a Former Senior Fellow and Security Analyst of Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA), has been examiner PhD thesis in Defence & Security Studies, Ex Commandant Services Selection Centre & President SSB, besides being Instructor at four premier institutions of the Army. Presently he is a Vice Chairman Indian Ex Servicemen Movement.