IESM: Chairman's Desk

Date: Monday, 8 June, 2009, 11:00 PM
Dear Colleagues,
We all know that OROP is currently under active consideration of the Government and the Cabinet Secretary’s committee is due to make its report by the end of this month. We also know what mountains all of us in the ESM community had to move to bring OROP issue to this stage. Every organization has been working for this goal in its own way. It is now more essential than ever that every ESM speaks with one voice.
In keeping with the wishes of the environment, and in order to dispel all doubts of any perceived lack of unity among the ESM on the subject of OROP, it is proposed to organise a joint sitting of heads of all the ESM organisations of the three Services. Details are as under:
Date: 11 June 2009 (Thursday)
Time: 1600 hours
Venue: Pool Side Bar Room, DSOI, Dhaula Kuan, Delhi Cantt.
Agenda: To devise a common stand and coordinate our activities to further enhance our chances of OROP.
Presidents/ Chairmen/ Heads of all ESM organisations are requested to make it convenient to attend. They are welcome to bring along any colleague, if desired. Total number attending may kindly be conveyed telephonically to me in advance to button up logistics.
Best regards,
Lt Gen (Emeritus) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Chairman IESM

Dear Veterans- Do you know the History of pay commissions?
The first two Central Pay Commissions (First -May 1946 and Second- Aug. 1957) did not consider the pay scales, allowances and other service conditions of Defence Forces personnel. At that time, the structure of emoluments of the Defence Forces personnel was looked into by the Departmental Committees which included the representatives of the three services.

1. Post-war Pay Committee (1949)
After the First Pay Commission, a Post -War Pay Committee was constituted for the Defence Forces personnel. The Committee simplified the pay structure of the Defence Forces personnel considerably and abolished a number of allowances which had either relevance only to war conditions or which could be merged with the pay. The Committee established a broad relativity of officers of Defence Forces with the officers of Class-I Central Services and the Indian Police Service (IPS). In Personnel Below Officer Ranks (PBORs), the fully trained infantry solider with 3 years service was equated with a semi-skilled worker. Pension related issues of the Defence Forces were considered by the Defence Forces Pension Revision Committee constituted in 1949 which gave its report in 1950.

2. Raghuramaiya Committee (1960)
Subsequent to the report of the Second Pay Commission, the consequential changes for Defence Forces Personnel were effected as per the recommendations made by the Raghuramaiah Committee that gave its report in 1960. The Committee did not modify any of the principles followed by the Post War Pay Committee. The Raghuramaiya Committee specifically mentioned that the accepted parallel between defence service officers and Class-I services of the Central Government, particularly the Indian Police Service should be continued.

3. Third Pay Commission (April 1970- March 1973)
The Third Pay Commission was the first Commission whose terms of reference included examination of the structure of emoluments, the retirement benefits and terms and conditions of the Defence Forces personnel. The Commission noted that the relativity of the officers in Defence Forces vis-à-vis IPS was only a working method of devising scales of pay for the service officers which did not mean that the functional role of the two services were similar. The Commission, specifically, noted that the pay structure of the Indian Administrative Service with its long pay scales was particularly unsuitable for service officers.

4. Fourth Central Pay Commission (June 1983- Dec 1986)
The Fourth Pay Commission recommended an integrated pay scale of Rs. 2300-100-5100 for all officers up to the rank of Brigadier & equivalent in three services and Major Generals was placed in the pay scale of Rs. 5900-6700. It was, in fact, Fourth Central Pay Commission which gave a regular increase in pension to the old pensioners (Veterans). Minimum Pension of Rs. 375/- (Sepoy) and Maximum Pension of Rs. 4500/- (Gen.) was fixed for the old Pensioners. Fourth Central Pay Commission met a number of Pensioner's organizations in various parts of the country other than its New Delhi office In North Zone, the Pay Commission held a meeting with the ex-servicemen at Sub. Area Hq. at Ambala Cantt. on 6-12-1984 Meeting was arranged by Brig. Irwin David. Mr. Justice Shyngl was the Chairman of the Fourth Central Pay Commission. A deputation of ex-servicemen headed by late Lt. Gen. Gurbachan Singh 'Buch' (Retd.) which included Sgt. Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal (Retd.), the present President of Indian Ex-Services League, Punjab & Chandigarh (IESL P&C) Lt. Col. Mohinder Singh Sandhu (Retd.), the present Senior Vice President of (IESL P&C), late Hony. Capt. B.R. Soin (Retd.) and late Hony. Capt. Haqiqat Singh (Retd.), all from Patiala , met the Pay Commission for discussion of demands of ex-servicemen included in the memorandum submitted, earlier, by the Indian Ex-Services League, Punjab & Chandigarh to the Pay Commission. Sgt Prabhjot Singh discussed the pension case of Reservist Dalip Singh of Vill. Khanian in Tehsil. Nabha, Distt. Patiala who has been drawing Rs. 3/- P.M. as pension since 1939. The case, which was earlier highlighted in various news papers which attracted the attention of Govt. of India for a suitable disposal and hectic correspondence was made between the Govt. and the Indian Ex-Services League, Punjab & Chandigarh. The correspondence about the said case was presented to the Pay Commission which took no time to make recommendation to grant a regular increase in pension for old pensioners (Veterans) who were so far being given, some or other types of ad-hoc increases to which re-employed ex-servicemen were not entitled. Commission immediately declared that here after minimum pension will be paid to re-employed ex-servicemen. Thus, there was a regular increase in pension for the veterans as a result of sustained efforts made by Indian Ex-Services League, Punjab & Chandigarh.

5. Fifth Central Pay Commission (April 1994- January 1997)
The Fifth Central Pay Commission recommended the abolition of Rank of 2nd Lieutenant. Commission also recommended abolition of integrated pay scales. For old pensioners (Veterans), Fifth Central Pay Commission recommended Rs. 1275/- P.M. as minimum pension and Rs. 15000/- P.M. as maximum pension.

6. Sixth Central Pay Commission (Oct, 2006 – March, 2008)
What the Sixth Central Pay Commission has granted to the Soldiers and the Veterans, is known to all of you and needs no description here. It has given a minimum pension of Rs. 3500/-P.M. (which covers PBORs up to rank of Hav.) and maximum pension of Rs. 45000/-P.M. (General). Mark the difference between the minimum and the maximum pension among the Soldiers. This difference will, certainly, increase to the range of Rs. 1,30,000/- P.M. if no remedial steps are taken by the concerned quarters at the earliest.
L.Tel. S.C. Sharma CTO (Retd)
General Secretary.
Indian Ex-Service League, Punjab & Chandigarh.