SCPC Goof Ups: Letter to Prime Minister

Dear Prime Minister,

Despite several appeals, requests, complaints, and even protests from various quarters regarding grievances of the armed forces personnel on the 6th CPC, there has been no sympathetic response from the govt. I sincerely feel this matter now requires your personal intervention. Hence, this mail.

It seems the members of the 6th CPC and those responsible for the follow up action either did not know or failed to appreciate the importance and sanctity of age old accepted precedence of the armed forces ranks not only vis a vis their counter parts in other central services but also the inter se rank precedence within the armed forces.

Otherwise, how on earth they should they prescribe pay/ pension revision formulae as would result in fixing pay of the ranks like Lt Col and above up to Lt Gen(and their equivalent) less than that of lower precedence posts of other services? And within the Armed Forces, why should the pay of a selection grade rank not be better than that of a time scale promotee who fails to make the selection grade? Why the rank- inherent rank pay now not be paid to the illegible serving officers?

Among the pensioners, why should the pension of higher ranks work out less than that of junior ranks? Why should a selection grade retired officer be given pension less than a time scale one? Why should old pensioners get less pension by thousands of rupees as compared to the new ones retiring in the same ranks? Why should an old Havaldar get pension less than a Sepoy? These are a few most glaring inconsistencies among other anomalies galore.

It would also appear those (including the Group of Secys and their staff ) responsible for follow up action on the approved recommendations of the CPC did not do their home work fully and sincerely, before rushing promulgation and implementation. Most of the anomalies could have been resolved at that stage and dissatisfaction avoided. They failed to appreciate that any piecemeal and half baked tinkering with one service would have serious ramifications adversely affecting others.

It is well known that the govt is committed to maintaining a healthy balance among all the central services. Yet, this has been totally upset now. As the time slips, the situation is becoming complex – otherwise, by now, the best brains and most learned Group of
Ministers deputed by you to resolve matters should have come out with a solution.

With such frustration, one is agitated to suggest scrapping of the entire proceedings of the 6th CPC and rework the whole exercise ab initio in fairness to all. If this is too much, even at this belated stage, the govt should consider appointing a Special Pay Commission exclusively for the Armed Forces to address their problems afresh fully, expeditiously, and without any prejudice so as to restore confidence and satisfaction among them. Had, initially, the advice/suggestion of the three Chiefs for accommodating a services representative on the 6th CPC been heeded, this situation could have been averted.

With profound regards, and full of hopes,
Yours sincerely,
Lt Gen Manmohan Singh, PVSM(Retd)

Copy forwarded by Brig V Thyagarajan (Retd)