PRANAB MUKHERJEE REPORT

  Minister of External Affairs   

  India   

Pranab Mukherjee

No. 13787/EAM/2008                                                                                     19^th December 2008

            Sub: 6^th Central Pay Commission (CPC) Implementation:

                        Further benefits requested by the Armed Forces

            This has reference to the meeting taken by you on 27 November 2008 to discuss the report I had sent on 11 November 2008. While there was general agreement on the recommendations made, Finance Minister raised the issue regarding the horizontal relativities of Armed Forces vis-à-vis CPMFs and civilians. It was agreed that we should further examine the problems relating to Lt Col level officers on deputation to the Central Secretariat, Intelligence Agencies and CPMFs.

            As directed by you, I discussed the matter further with Shri A K Antony on 17 December. Since Shri P Chidambaram could not attend the meeting on 17 December, I sent him a note after my discussions with RM. I received his view this morning. The substantive portions of Shri Chidambaram’s view have been incorporated in the revised report which is enclosed. Following recommendations have been made in the revised report:  

(i)         The pensionary benefits to all PBORs may be given without disadvantage to any category and an Anomaly Committee may be set (up) immediately to address any such cases.

(ii)        Lt Cols, who are in their parent service in combat or ready-to-combat jobs, may be placed in Pay Band-4. Those Lt Col level officers who are on deputation would be entitled to PB-4 only when they return to parent service.

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(iii)       The grade pay for Lt Cols who are in their parent service in combat or ready to combat jobs, may be fixed at Rs 8000/- against the grade pay of Rs 8700/- for Cols/Directors. Those Lt Col level Officers who are on deputation be entitled to the above grade pay when they return to parent service.   

(iv)       A High-Powered Committee may be set up to resolve the issues relating to command and control functions/status of armed forces vis-à-vis paramilitary forces and civilians.

(v)        The pay revision of the armed forces should be delinked from the civilian pay revisions. Separate Board or Commission should be set us to recommend the pay scales of the Armed Forces in future.

You may like to approve these recommendations for implementation. 

Yours sincerely,

Sd/-----------------

(Pranab Mukherjee)

Dr Manmohan Singh

Prime Minister of India

New Delhi

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