Minister
of External Affairs
India
Pranab Mukherjee
No. 13787/EAM/2008 19th
December 2008
Sub: 6th 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.
:: 2::
(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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