Sixth Pay Commission Pension and Arrears

I have been receiving very large number of requests for many types of problems related to 6 CPC Report- pension of widows, premature retirement cases, disability cases and many other similar problems.
Seeing the vastness of the problem I tried to find a solution which could in 'one go' solve most of these problems.
Luckily I did find such a solution, which can apply universally to many type of questions (but not all).
You can now very easily help all your friends in finding answers to the questions related to 6 CPC Report.

The interesting thing is that the formulae worked out apply equally to all universally- whether prematurely retired person or with full pension, a or widow/ widower of service person, from officer grade, PBOR, from any Central Government Service, any grade, whether the person knows his/ her basic pension or not. All that a person needs to know, what is his/ her full pension as in November 2007.

Before I give your those universal formulae, I wish to tell you something more. While the figures given vide my previous emails to you for the new pension as on 1-1-2006 and as on date are correct, the arrears calculated by me and intimated to you, need some correction. The arrears would be somewhat less then what was worked out by me earlier. In my calculations I had taken the figures of the Old Pension little less than the actual figures what we have been receiving. Therefore, obviously the arrears figures are more than the actual. Fresh table of arrears are given below. ALSO, please note that the formulae and tables given below are applicable only to those persons who retired before 1-1-2006.

The Universal Formulae to Calculate 6 CPC Related Pension and Arrears

As mentioned earlier, for answering questions of your friends on the above subject all you need to know from him/ her is the full pension of as received by the person in November 2007.
Full pension here means- The pension received in bank + the commuted amount if any.
Let us abbreviate Full Pension of November 2007 as FPN07.
Now the universal formulae to calculate the various amounts are as under:

1. New Pension as on 1-1-2006 FPN07 x 1.1737

2. New Pension as on 1-1-2008 FPN07 x 1.385

3. Arrears of 2006 FPN07 x 3.600

4. Arrears of 2007 FPN07 x 3.8892

5. Arrears per month in 2008 till implementation 6 CPC or till next DA added, which ever is earlier FPN07 x 0.3424

6. Arrears from Jan to Mar 2008 FPN07 x 1.0273

7. Total Arrears from Jan 2006 to Mar 2008 FPN07 x 8.5168

Note: FPN07= Full Pension in November 2007= Pension received in bank plus commuted amount if any.

The table given below applies to only those who earned full pension of the rank, and those who retired before 1-1-2006.

I once again reiterate that the pension of persons who retired before 1-1-2006 has been de- linked from the currently serving personnel. Even if the pay and allowances of Defence Officers and PBOR given in 6 CPC get revised, the pension of those who retired before 1-1-2006 will not be affected. So stop thinking of MSP etc.

Please do give wide publicity to the Universal Formulae given above.
If you are not sure of those formulae, try them out on your own pension details and do backward and forward calculations to verify the formulae. You may find a difference of few rupees here and there, because of the formulae being truncated to just 3 or 4 places of decimal, while actual formulae go upto 8 or 9 places of decimal.

A large number of questions received by me are still pending. I will try my best to find answers to those questions, if feasible.

Please appreciate that all this information I am sending to you is being handled by me single handed and not by a team, as some of you seem to be carrying the impression. So, kindly bear with me the delay in answering your questions.

With Compliments from "Report My Signal".

Brig CS Kamboj, VSM (Retd)

We are truly indebted to Brig CS Kamboj for giving us a easy to understand universal formulae for calculation of Pension and Pension Arrears.

Learning to Command

The Corps Commander Lt Gen J N Choudhry arrives to witness the Hockey Match.

How a young officer learns to command and grow on joining his first unit and the role of the seniors NCO,s and Jawans who help him in the process . One has to learn by watching, asking, and following.

NDA
Cadets were embodied as recruits and trained as such. (As cadets we would line up in NDA early every month, for what was known as Pay Parade and were handed over the princely some of Rs 16, that was the salary of a recruit those days, that too from the Rs 800 we were required to bring from home and deposit in NDA. However, they were also introduced to the graces considered necessary in officers; Dress, Table manners, Etiquette and so on.

IMA
I was totally bereft of any idea of how to manage, lead or deal with JCOs, NCOs and OR, my encounters, till now having being with the Drill JCO the PT NCO or the Weapon Training staff at IMA and a few of the same at School of Signals. Coupled with this was the awe of senior officer ranks. The Platoon Commander at IMA and the Group Officer at the School both a Captain the first and only contact with an officer looked a towering figure; any rank above was much beyond my vision.

Section Commander
As 2 I/C of Main wireless section, it was, for me, a period of growing up as an officer, the process of learning by watching Capt Sikand and doing what he directed me to do I somehow became totally dependent on his presence and felt a bit lost when he proceeded on annual leave leaving me to survive on my own.

Troops
My grateful thanks to the NCOs who held my hand during critical periods and help develop my self- confidence. Men are very discerning possibly my attitude willingness to learn respect for their experience and knowledge made them come forward. The Indian Soldier never lets down his officer but first, one has to win his confidence and respect in turn by respecting his experience and knowledge.

Technical Stores
The Main Wireless section or rather its store which also served as the Section office with a folding table (Table Tele) and two folding leather stool for the section Officer Commanding (OC) and the Second in Command that was me to sit across was located in a ramshackle barrack.

399 Radio Set Shelter
Six Ton Studybaker vehicle with PE95 Generator
The Section had a mix of about 15 or so mobile vehicle mounted 400 watt SCR 399 radio sets of US Army and the Command Vehicle High Power (CVHP) with the Radio Set RS 53, of British origin along with Command Vehicle Low Power (CVLP) with radio set 19 HP and a number of PE 95, 15 KVA generators and assorted charging engines for the secondary batteries held.

RS 53
RS 19 HP
RS 62
The section also held Radio sets like 19, 19 HP and 62. There was a bewildering array of equipment spares, accessories and tools to my inexperienced eyes making it worse with some on the racks and the rest piled up in a haphazard manner on the floor of the store. As a routine we were required to be in the section office after lunch and before the games parade doing nothing even if we wanted to do with all the men away possible cutting grass of performing some such non- technical but essential task under the Subedar Major. What I still remember with amusement is the picture of the Section Havaldar busy most of the time making Lists, lists after lists- of men of equipment of vehicles and whatever.

The Corps Troops Shooting Competition Gill, Saran, self sitting and Siddhu on Mic

Company Commander
The OC Company the most non- technical officer commanding the most technical company was always meticulously turned out both in uniform and civies, a former Adjutant of Signal Training Centre Jabalpore where he had the reputation of changing his stiffly starched uniform three times a day, stiff most of the time he would Blow Hot and Cold. Sadly his efforts generally ended with predictable results to run the Science and Physics classes of the Ionosphere with his stick. For him winning the Corps Troops drill or shooting competition was more important that being the requirement of the day than the on- going CEME inspection of the equipment with even the Radio mechanics required for maintaining and preparing the equipment taken away from the command of the section. Maj Siddhu the Company Commander, would address me as Lakshman when in good spirits and as Mr Lakshman Singh when in foul mood. 2nd Lt were then designated as Mr, but now an extinct tribe.

Brig Lakshman Singh VSM (Retd)

Comments: The old school of Generals in the Army were sportsmen and proficient in troops games which trickled down the chain of command. Games and sports fostered and built team spirit and lasting relationships. Sadly the interest in sports and games has diminished which is discernible from the media reports where defence teams are in the background. Now our arm chair Generals, in lighter vein, would prefer to be office bound rather than find time to play/ encourage/ witness troop games.

Sixth Pay Commission Pension Arrears

I tend to disagree with the figures for revised pension with effect from 01 Jan 96 at Pension Arrears Table. A Table has been given in Annexure 5.1.1 of Pay Commission Report, which shows revised pension figures with respect to old pension plus Dearness pension. Para 5.1.47, however, mentions that: The fixation of pension as per the Table will be subject to the provision that revised pension, in no case, shall be lower than fifty per cent of the sum of minimum of the pay in pay band and the Grade pay thereon corresponding to pre- revised pay scale from which the pensioner had retired. To this extent, a change would need to be allowed from the fitment shown in the Table.

Pension Table
I am not clear whether minimum of pay bands are to be taken as 15600 (from Lt to Brigadier) and 39200 (Maj Gen and Lt Gen) of their respective pay bands 15600-39100 and 39200-67000, or the pay which corresponds to minimum of the pay band of their ranks at which serving officers pay is being fitted. For example, a serving Major General whose pre- revised pay is Rs 18400 will have his revised pay as Rs 43280 + Grade pay of Rs 9000, total of 52280, in the pay band 39200- 67000 (Table 2.31 pages 89-92). In the Table below, Column 5, Alternate 1 gives revised pension based on minimum of pay bands 15600-39100 and 39200-67000. Column 6, Alternate 2, gives pension based on basic pay, Grade pay and Military Service Pay, which is being given to serving officers at the minimum of the pre- revised scales.

If Alternate 1 is to be followed pension for Capt, Maj and officers of the rank of Maj Gen and above shall get pension as per Column 5, while others will get as per column 4. If Alternate 2 is to be followed, all officers will get pension as per Column 6. Base year for calculation of DA has been recommended by Pay Commission to be revised to 2006 and frequently thereafter. If Government revises base year before implementing Pay Commission recommendations, DA may be payable at lower rates than 5%, 11%, 17% and 23% paid so far wef 01 July 06, o1 Jan 07, 01 Jul 07 and 01 Jan 08 respectively. Amount of arrears may come down accordingly.

AVM RP Mishra

Comments: Interpretation of pension arrears have perplexed many of the financial pundits. Ultimately CDA Pensions are the true authority who will credit arrears into our Bank Accounts, when the SCPC recommendations are approved for implementation. My gut feeling is that the pension and arrears will be further vetted and maybe even pruned due to budget constraints. Pensioners till then need to be patient and not dream of getting a handsome bounty for a big party! Be prudent and living within one's means makes good sense. Wiser to reduce intake of alcohol from CSD Canteens and not be tempted by the liquor quota. Reducing quota must be the mantra.

Visit to Budapest

As leader of the delegation with Shamsher and our two escorts in front of Hotel Atrium Hayat Budapest October 1984

Brigadier Lakshman Singh, VSM (Retd)

Slideshow Budapest in Pictures Wait for Photographs to load.

Linked to Stranded in London

Arms and the missing men

Does the pay commission address the army’s real problem— the huge shortage of officers? Its recommendations alone will certainly not do, writes Lt Gen Vinay Shankar.

Parity
Going by media headlines, the Sixth Pay Commission’s substantive message to the defence forces is that it has attempted to bring about pay parity with the bureaucrats — as if this is all that matters to them. Comparison is certainly an issue but it is not the only issue.

Steady disaffection
The defence services’ repeated pleas for a special pay board for them have never been accepted by the government, nor has the services’ request for at least including defence services officers as members of the Pay Commission Committee. Why do these legitimate requests get repeatedly stonewalled? The only explanation could be that the government is not yet sufficiently convinced about the necessity to treat the military as a special category. The consequence within the military is that of slow and steady disaffection.

Redressal
With each pay commission, some hopes do get rekindled. It has been the same during the period of deliberations of this pay commission. Now that the report is out, what is the denouement? The broad spectrum view is that Justice Srikrishna has been relatively more sensitive and more appreciative than his predecessors. He has tried to redress some of the disparities that the earlier pay commissions had inflicted. There are many issues that will still bother the defence services, but altogether there is recognition that this time there has been relatively greater understanding and commitment to address their concerns.

Real crisis
But the real issue is whether the dispensation that is eventually awarded on the basis of the pay commission’s recommendations has any direct impact on the crisis that the army is facing — the huge shortage of officers. It was on Army Day this year that the army chief drew the nation’s attention to this problem. Many believe that this is something that should have been done at least a decade ago.

Increasing commitments
The army has been unsuccessfully grappling with this problem for close to three decades. It began to hurt from about the mid- eighties— the time it was stretched to the point of snapping. The time when we were on an expeditionary mission in Sri Lanka, concurrently coping with Operation Blue Star and its aftermath, and also dealing with Operation Rhino in Assam. Since then, there has been no let up in the army’s commitments. As a matter of fact, the situation in Kashmir from 1990 onwards has further exacerbated matters.

Basic building block
It is important to know a little about how the army functions to better understand the gravity of the problem. The basic building block of the army is what we call a ‘unit’; also known as battalion or regiment depending on the corps to which the unit belongs. All the ‘action and execution’ in the army is at this level. After this level, the direct command of soldiers ceases.

Commanding officer
A unit is expected to have around 600 to 800 soldiers and 18 to 25 officers and is commanded by a colonel. It is at this level that an officer learns soldiering and the operational employment of his unit in battle. This level is also where the officer’s baptism to leadership is initiated. Similarly, soldiers after completing recruit training come to the units to be welded into a fighting force and imbibe values of loyalty, discipline, comradeship and pride in the profession of arms. But all this can only happen if there is good leadership in the unit. Otherwise who will teach, train and lead by example? Who will the soldiers and young officers aspire to emulate? Sufficiency and quality of officers is thus critical to the health of units, the basic building block of any army.

Weakening of Command
So when units do not have adequate numbers of officers the army’s foundation gets weakened. Let us see how critical the problem is. The quoted figure of shortage is about 11,000 to 12,000, which approximates to a deficiency of about 30 per cent. Since all the shortages are in the ranks of subalterns and captains, at the unit level this gets compounded to more than 50 per cent of the authorisation. Consequently, units today are making do with barely 8-12 officers against the 18-25 that should be there. Take away leave, sickness and other sundry commitments and the effective strength gets further whittled down to 4-6 officers.

Officer quality
It ought to be a matter of wonder then as to how our army, for instance, successfully fought the Kargil war and continues to effectively combat terrorism and militancy in J&K or in Assam and the Northeast. Some plain speaking on this score from within is necessary. We must admit that had the army been ‘better’ officered it could have accomplished much more or achieved what it did at lesser cost; better— both in terms of numbers of junior leaders and the overall quality of leaders.

Inherent strength
What the army managed to achieve has largely been due to its inherent resilience and the deeply ingrained ethos of duty above all else and delivering without bellyaching, values bequeathed to it in its formative years, post independence, by its leadership — a leadership which was not without its faults.

Lack of leadership
Symptoms of the growing ailment have been surfacing with increasing frequency over the last decade or so. Suicides, soldiers running amuck, court cases, moral turpitude, the list is long. There would be many explanations for the rash of disciplinary cases that are taking place but we must all accept that the principle reason is leadership.

Izzat
Debates on pay, perks and izzat and what constitutes good leadership material are interesting academic pursuits, but right now there is a crisis brewing. We need immediate answers and an action plan that can be implemented over the next five years.

Chief's concern
The army chief has publicly drawn attention to perhaps his single most important concern — not the gun, but the man behind the gun. The prime minister and defence minister should take note. This Pay Commission’s recommendations alone will certainly not do.

Lt Gen Vinay Shankar (Retd)
Former DG Arty

Reproduced: Thursday, March 27, 2008, Indian Express

Comments: Para headings included for convenience of Blog readers. A sound analysis which needs immediate attention on all aspects enumerated above to obviate the declining image of the Defence Forces.

Confusion Confounded Dreamer's Club

Date: 07 Jan 2008
Promotions in Army
Arun Sinha's Dream:
In the other central govt job promotion is firm and fair as they have been able to manage their cadre. Why Army is not able to manage its cadre? There is a large percentage of offrs weeded out at Lt Col and thereby their utilisation is not at all there. If you see in other central govt like IPS after 15 yrs everyone is DIG. It gives very poor impression about army.
It is also pertinent to mention that promotion in army is based on ACR which is earned by doing dignified slavery to IO and RO. If somebody talks about rules and regulations and moral value, he is fixed in ACR thereby he loses promotions. Today actually army is flourishing on ceremonial values mixed with corruption called privileges in army parlance. If you oppose it you are fixed.
Its high time army wakes up and do something about its cadres.

Chief's Response:
AWHO is a Society registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 and provides dwelling units on self financing scheme to serving /retired army personnel and their widows on "No profit No Loss" basis. Most of the work of AWHO is already outsourced to architects and contractors. The number of dwelling units built by AWHO at any time depends on availability of land and demand at a particular station. AWHO indeed is a facilitator, an enabler and user friendly. Check it out for yourself by logging on to www.awhosena.org. As suggested to provide 30,000 dwelling units per year, the cost would be roughly Rs 10,000 crores per year of projects, which is a figure even the big builders/developers/MES cannot handle.

My Dream muddled with Arun Sinha's Dream. Please visit:
Interact with Chief: Dreamers Club
Comments
AWHO is a vast organisation catering for housing to benefit a few. We do not get to know who are allotted houses year wise from its inception till date, from the website. What is the organisation cost? The audited accounts are not easily discernible in the web pages. The Society Act clearly emphasises the organisational costs should not exceed 15%. Are society act norms kept up to its true spirit?

Army Officer Residences 1955 to 1985

Jalandhar as 2Lt
72 Napier Road where we had our mess was located was in a sprawling large compound with wheat and other seasonal crops cultivated by the owner of the property. The main building, an old nearly dilapidated bungalow had a few rooms that were occupied by the senior officers where as we the youngsters were banished the fully dilapidated old horse stable converted to leaky roof rooms. With no fans in the room and to survive the searing heat of Punjab. AJS and I sharing the room pooled our resources and rented a ceiling fan for a couple of summer months.

Pathankot as Lt
The Signal Section under technical control of 26 Div Signal Regiment located at Jammu had been dumped along with 40 Medium Regiment by some ignorant staff officer of Arty Directorate at Army Headquarters in a camping ground near Sujanpur at Pathankot at the height of the Monsoons. Next few months were sustained only by dreams of Rosy and me together; dreamt while asleep on the MES string- cot under the wet flaps of the tent at others listening to the constant pelting of the Monson rain on the tent. Pathankot was a semi- field station with no family accommodation. With permission one could bring the family and stay in something known by the generic name of ‘Basha' a structure with mud walls and a thatched roof constructed under own arrangement or if lucky move in by purchasing from some lucky officer leaving on posting. I was also in queue looking for some such accommodation falling vacant coinciding with Rosy finishing her final Examinations.

The hectic activity for a place to locate a house bore fruits. As luck would have it and by sheer chance I was fortunate to locate a two-room house, for the princely sum of Rupees 30 per month as rent, situated at the corner of Sujanpur Sericulture Farm, near the village of the same name and not far from the unit lines. It was secluded, insecure, lonely and totally unsafe from every angle, lonely and insecure in day and more so at night, yet it suited us to a ‘T’ nothing less than a heaven in our eyes. It was our first house and for her to run the way she wanted and me to pamper her. It was he missing purpose that back in life once again.

MHOW
Thanks for minor mercies that by the time half of the course was over I were permitted to call Jeet and Kalpana to Mhow under my own arrangements. I had managed a one room in the bungalow on Generals road with the good offices of Capt Jaswant Singh who also attending the course and staying in the same house. The Room a god- send though large enough for the three of us did become over- crowded and cramped at times with the dhobi sweeper maid the bearer and Mohan all milling about together, invariably I found my- self edged out . Fortunately after a few days an officially approved accommodation did fall vacant and we shifted to the one and a half room accommodation at DSO Press on Simrol road.

Jeet with Our one and a half room house
Our place soon became the meeting point for most of the bachelors on the course and some of the staff posted there to congregate in the process we did make some enduring friendships.

Jogender, Satish, Khurana and his Scooter, DSO Press Simrol Road. Dilapidated Bungalow background
Rarmgarh as Capt
A Cantonment town near Ranchi in Bihar where we of the Brigade, nobody's baby at that time, had been dumped for refitting, had miles and miles of family accommodation lying vacant; a forbidden apple to our hungry eyes. Though a family station we were not allowed to bring the families.

Ambala
The advance party had already taken over the accommodation for the Section and the bungalow for us an OP Amar construction the point however was that it was our first proper house with two bed rooms and a study fully furnished with MES furniture of course we had a good house in Ramgarh also a hutment but it was still our own.

Mhow
we landed at School of Signals on 2nd October 1963. Unlike the last time in School of Signals this time we had a house, a hutment, waiting for us to move in, it was a privilege of being on the staff.

Poona as Maj
Once again I had to leave Jeet and the two kids, Chotoo now about four years plus and Chotta still a toddler behind. It was becoming a routine by now; IAT had no married accommodation to offer to us. However, couple of months of separation later Rosy came to the rescue; her friend Kanta's husband Capt Sirohi was also doing a course at CEME and had a house allotted to him in Kirkee in the ammunition factory area who very kindly agreed to host us till we got a place of our own. On posting to ARDE, for the first time not only I had the opportunity of staying in proper accommodation and a choice of picking up from the half a dozen newly built unoccupied houses; a difficult proposition a problem of plenty; ultimately it was 26 The Pashan a lovely house which welcomed us and where we spent some of the best time of our life.

26, the Pashan, The Herald in background
Ranchi as Lt Col
More importantly than the hutment that I had been allotted my shifting the family to Ranchi with out his approval was strongly frowned upon by the GOC and in tandem by the AQ which was a real damper to my spirits. When the GOC gave me a baleful glare on this issue while interviewing me at Malhout I offered to send the family back to Dehradun which to some extent satisfied his ego.

Secunderabad
IDM had very thoughtfully arranged for some hired accommodations in Sanikpuri.

Delhi
Best that could be done was a single room in officers mess, what I was supposed to do about admitting my children in school and college, It was for me to locate a suitable house for hiring by the Administration. I did get, ultimately to move in to a suitable flat at SP Marg but by the it was time to move once again.

Mhow as Col
We had been allotted a hutment with the No T 214 marked in bold letter and figures on the Generals Road that was in an advanced dilapidated state, derelict, about to fall and with all rooms leaking during the monsoons. General’s Road was indeed a very prestigious sounding name. Lt Gen Sunderjee the Commandant College of Combat did live on the same road though alone in the appointment house a massive double story old bungalow.On the earlier posting to Mhow we had also lived in a hutment the only difference between then and now was the up-gradation from dry to waterborne sanitation a giant step in technology from 1963 to 1980.

Delhi as Brig
With difficulty and after a few months I managed a 2 room Flat on Curzon Road, later shifted to DK Part II on medical grounds of my daughter. All said and done it was good fun and as a soldier and a good soldiers wife we were happy with what we got when we got and had a chance to stay together.

Brig Lakshman Singh, VSM

Luxurious Houses? Read "Myths Busted" Link

Pay and Perks Armed Forces

‘We The People’ by Barkha dated 30 March on 24x7 and further to my views on ‘Pay & Perks’ Armed Forces (Posted earlier on the Dreamers Club). I feel the issue of life time pay package and career progression of Armed Forces Offrs vis-à-vis civil bureaucrats anomaly is not being correctly addressed or I will say being projected to the populace by our Retd Senior Offrs spokesmen on various TV Channel chat shows or in print media.

A bureaucrat generally becomes JS or equivalent (60% of the cadre) in 15 yrs plus and thereafter draws a Maj Gen pay package for almost over 15 yrs of his service. Only two percent of army offrs reach this rank and draw the benefit for about 5 years. Same is the case with Brigs/ Directors.

Army offrs when on deputation or otherwise are at the same rank or lower where in our bureaucrat friends move on deputation on a higher grade/ appointment.

Order of Precedence as laid down in GOI Notification No 33-Pers/79 of Jul 79 gives out that a Col is above DM/DC/DIG Police. However ranks worn by police have no equation with those of the Army.

Our Sr Retd Offrs need to highlight these major anomalies to the populace as and when they get suitable opportunities to express their opinions on various platforms.

Col RC Patial, SM

Sixth Pay Commission Pension Arrears

The table giving arrears from 2006 till date and total arrears from Jan 06 to Mar 08.

Brig CS Kamboj, VSM (Retd)

For those conversant with Zoho Sheet- Online Spreadsheets
Sixth Pay Commission Arrears and new pay calculator and estimated income tax for the year 2008-09
Online Spreadsheet

Flogging a Horse

"When you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount and get a different horse."

However, in government, education and corporate India, more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:

Buying a stronger whip.

Changing riders.

Appointing a committee to study the horse.

Arranging to visit other countries to see how other cultures ride dead horses.

Lowering the standards so that the dead horse can be included.

Reclassifying the dead horse as 'living impaired'.

Hiring outside contractors to ride the dead horse.

Harnessing several dead horses together to increase speed.

Providing additional funding and/ or training to increase dead horse's performance.

Doing a productivity study to see if lighter riders would improve the dead horse's performance.

Declaring that as the dead horse does not have to be fed, it is less costly, carries lower overheads and therefore contributes substantially more to the bottom line of the economy than do some other horses.

Rewriting the expected performance requirements for all horse.

Promoting the dead horse to a supervisory position!
If you understand the above, then you are obviously residing in India.

We thank Lt Gen Raj Kadyan (Retd) for this anecdote.
Forwarded by Brig PT Gangadharan (Retd)

Comments: Flogging will certainly invite attention of animal activists.

Sixth Pay Commission Readers Views

I wish to record my appreciation to Brig Kamboj and Brig Narula for working out such detailed tables. The work done is commendable. Knowing the country's financial wizards I am sure the bonanza won't be as good as what has been indicated in the Pension Table. The multiplication factor is 2.14 and not 2.28. Only point of contention would be whether the pensions will match the lowest pensions of the same rank on 01 Jan 2006. I think its best to wait for the actual financial pundits to issue the letters.

Col Chander Mohan (Retd)

1. I retired as Lt Col(S) in Nov 1993 after over 28 yrs of service (date of commission -Jun 1965). As per tables displayed, I would get a pension Rs 18742/- plus DA (Rs 21367 Mar 2008). Lt Col retiring in 2007, say after 20 to 25 yrs of service would get all inclusive total of Rs 29469. A difference of over Rs 8000/. Is this correct?
2. I could not locate where pensions have been delinked from pay of serving personnel.
3. what is the advantage of one rank one pension. Two Lt Cols one with 30 yrs of service and second with 20 yrs will draw different pay, but same pension?
4. May I be enlightened on the above please.

Lt Col VK Grover (Retd)

1. Whether MSP and GP has been factored in while calculating pension in the revised scale as per recommendation.
2. That the revised pension shall not be less than 50% of the minimum pay of the rank in which retired as per the pay commission report.
3. What does it mean to say that pension has been delinked from all future revision of pay and allowances ofserving personnel?
4. Now that rank pay has been replaced by MSP and GP what compensation do existing pensioners get?
A clarification on the subject will help.

Sqn Ldr Bidyut Chatterjee (Retd 1992)

Myths Busted

Dear Editor of Times of India,

1. This in reference to the article carried in your newspaper, New Delhi Edition, 30 Mar 2008 titled Cost to Govt 4 Times the salary on paper. Times of India: 4 times the salary on paper

2. I think the article is totally misleading and will spread misinformation amongst the masses! How has Ashish Sinha and XLRI Jamshedpur arrived at the conclusion that Cost to Government (CTG) of Armed Forces officers is 4.5 times of the salary is baffling. The conclusion is scandalous, blasphemous and in poor taste! Ironically, these are the same arguments which have been presented in the VI Pay Commission report while fixing the salaries of defence Forces officers. Let me decimate these so called 'intangibles' given by Ashish Sinha and possibly XLRI Jamshedpur in support of this conclusion one by one.

3. Housing : Where are these 'sprawling bungalows' in which the defence officers are supposedly living. Being an Army Wife of an officer who has had an unblemished 31 years career in the Army so far and who has not done so badly, I have never ever lived in any of these sprawling bungalows. We have been always been allotted dilapidated flats, crumbling at the seams and the houses and the colonies represent Bombay Chawls. Mostly even this sub- standard accommodation is not available and one has to make do with temporary arrangements ranging from a single room in a crumbling British era building, to a lower class of accommodation till one finally gets the authorised accommodation (Mind you it is 1500 square feet and not 3500 square feet as stated by the VI pay commission in its report). If one gets authorised scale of accommodation at all before one gets posted out. All this in the same station involving two to three shifting's in a two years tenure. The houses are poorly constructed to begin with and are maintained by an organisation called MES (Has XLRI interacted with MES?). The icing on the cake is provided by MES by simultaneously charging rent for all the accommodations (once occupied by you in this shifting process). It is often very late that one realises that one is supposedly occupying so many accommodations simultaneously on paper and being charged for them! The sorting out process which involves another such organisation as the MES, gives one a real taste of the bureaucratic process! So much for the sprawling bungalows!

4. CSD: What is available in the CSD and how much of these items does one buy monthly? The total items purchased per month do not cost more than Rs 600/- to 700/- and the saving accrued is not more than Rs 200/- per month i.e. if one discounts the effort involved to get to the CSD (i.e. when it is open) provided the required item is available and finally the quality is good and competitive brands and contemporary brands are available. With the retail revolution now taking place in the country, most of the times better stuff is available in the market at lesser or same rates and then these can be bought at 11.00 p.m at night! In my entire life as an army wife (25 years), I do not think we have saved more than Rs 70,000/- by buying things from CSD. This includes purchase of a car! So much for CSD contributing to 4.5 times CTG!

5. House Building Advance: Please tell XLRI Jamshedpur and Ashish Sinha to publish factual details of total housing loans taken by Army Officers from private banks (HDFC, ICICI) vis-à-vis the government loan. The details will be eye opener! Haat kangan ko arsi kya, parhe likhe ko pharsi kya! Had these Govt loans been so easily available and so lucrative, 90% loans would not be taken by officers from private banks!

6. 90 Days Leave: You need leave when you serve away from families. Let Ashish Sinha do a stint in a field area and probably then he'll start campaigning for even more leave for soldiers. Secondly, which soldier gets full quota of leave? Lastly, do not private companies give all expenses paid holidays to their employees? Any such parallel in a govt job?

7. Travel Passes: Need for travel arises only because one serves away from home. Even then, the annual saving on account of subsidised travel by any average army family (including travel not necessitated by service conditions and for personal purposes alone) cannot exceed Rs 4- 5 K annually. Mind you, this figure too is on the higher side!

8. I guess it has become rather fashionable to talk about the abnormal privileges being enjoyed by defence services. Some other so called perks have not been touched upon in your article hence I need not elaborate on those and make efforts to decimate them too. But I assure you that they too are all a fallacy and are easily torn to shreds.

9. Finally, I have one suggestion to make to the powers that be and to those who are responsible for perpetrating this fallacy that an army officer's CTG is 4.5 times his salary – please withdraw all such intangibles CSD, govt houses (ram shackles), free rations, form D and warrants, 50% air travel concession, (who travels and when?) orderlies and so on; and pay us 4.5 times of what has been proposed by the Sixth Pay Commission! Acceptable? I am sure I am voicing the opinion of bulk of the middle rung officers of the Army!

10. Please do publish our sheer disappointment with your esteemed newspaper for carrying such blasphemous articles! JAI HIND!

Nina Sachar
(Wife of Army Officer)

Forwarded by Brig PT Gangadharan (Retd)

Comments: The MOD needs to get the myths busted so that the general population actually get to know the quality and quantity/ quantum of perks that middle rung officers and Jawans of Defence Forces truly get on ground to what is entitled on paper. Is it possible for a corrupt bureaucratic system to deliver whatever perks are truly envisaged on paper? The defence forces personnel are fighting twin battles firstly the bureaucratic empire (including Red Tapism and corruption within and external) and secondly defending the Nation!

Good Health Do's and Dont's

The benefits obtained from the tips below are an enjoyable day, good appetite, complete digestion, feeling fine all times; high energy levels, de- stressed day and good precious deep sleep every night.

Answer the phone by LEFT ear

Do not drink coffee TWICE a day

Do not take pills with COOL water

Do not have HUGE meals after 5pm

Reduce the amount of TEA you consume

Reduce the amount of OILY food you consume

Drink more WATER in the morning, less at night

Keep your distance from hand phone CHARGERS

Do not use headphones/ earphone for LONG period of time

Best sleeping time is from 10 pm at night to 6 am in the morning

Do not lie down immediately after taking medicine before sleeping

When battery is down to the LAST grid/ bar, do not answer the phone as the radiation is 1000 times more

Brig SK Rathee (Retd)

Defence Officers Pension Table

Based on a letter of CDA Pension, which I received in 1996, I have worked out a table which gives the pension amount of All Defence Officers (Navy and Air Force Officers have to consider their equivalent ranks of Army).
Your pension is given in the table below:

PENSION TABLE BASED ON SIXTH PAY COMMISSION REPORT
I have taken care in working out the figures in above table. However, if you still find some errors, please bear with it. Please Note

That the pension has been de- linked by 6th Pay Commission from the pay and allowances of serving personnel. Therefore, whether the pay and allowances of the serving Defence Personnel get revised further or not, your pension will remain unaffected.

The anomaly in the pension of Maj Gens continues as before.

Brig CS Kamboj, VSM (Retd)

Comments: We sincerely thank Brig CS Kamboj for unravelling the Pension entitlements and giving us a working formulae for Pension calculation and a ready reckoner pension table. One realizes the amount of time and effort that goes into deciphering the voluminous 650 paged Sixth Central Pay Commission Report. Each and every blog reader will surely appreciate the dedicated work involved in getting to us a easily digestible Pension Matrix.

Sixth Pay Commission How to calculate Pension

Dear Friends,
I am unable to handle the individual queries being received by me regarding pension of individuals.

Below I shall give you the guidelines as to how to work out your pension as on 01 Jan 2006 and how to work out your pension as on date, including the DA increase up to 01 Jan 2008.

The calculations have been worked out based on the following Paras and Annexure of the 6th Pay Commission:
A – Paras 5.1.46 and 5.1.47 on Pages 346 and 347 of The Report of 6th CPC.
B – Annexure 5.1.1 on Pages 87 to 254 of The Report of 6th CPC.

Let us assume the following:
A – your pension on 01 Jan 1996 as– P96
B – your pension 0n 01 Jan 2006 as– P06

Calculation of Pension. (As per the interpretation of the above paras of the 6 CPC)

P06 = P96x2.48241
Calculation of Pension on date.
The DA rise between 01 Jan 06 and 01 Jan 08 as declared by the Govt= 23%. This DA rise is over the Pension + 50% merged DA. This needs correction factor because 50% merged DA is no longer applicable. Therefore, the DA rise of 23% on old pension translates as 14% on the new pension.

Pension on date (P06 + DA) = P06 + P06x0.14
Net Pension on date = (P96x2.48241) + (P96x2.48241) x0.14= P96x 2.830

If your pension on 01 Jan 1996 say was Rs 1,000.00. Your pension on 01 Jan 2006 will be P06 = Rs 2,482.41
Your pension plus DA as on date say P06 (08) = (Rs 2,482.41) x1.14 OR P06(08)= Rs 2,830.00

Now to simplify further.

To calculate your pension on 01 Jan 2006.
Multiply your pension amount as on 01 Jan 1996 by factor of 2.48241

To find your pension plus DA as in Mar 2008.
Multiply your pension amount as on 01 Jan 1996 by factor of 2.830

If you have any more queries individually on this subject please email to reportmysignalblogspot@gmail.com where we will try to to seek answers from the Report My Signal Forum.

Brig CS Kamboj, VSM (Retd)