IESM : STATUS DOWNGRADATION OF ARMED FORCES

SOURCE: IESM

Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman                           Dated:  27 Jun 2018     Hon’ble Raksha  Mantri                                                                   104, South Block, New Delhi-110011

STATUS DOWNGRADATION OF ARMED FORCES

Dear Raksha Mantri,

With concern, we wish to bring to your notice the systematic and continuous downgradation of Defence Forces and request the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri to seriously address this issue to ensure, the most suitable youth is attracted to the noble profession of Arms.

It is brought to your notice that there has been deliberate down gradation of status of Armed Forces- Functionally as well with respect of Pay Parity.

Functional Downgradation.

 

Armed Forces Officers have always been equated with All India Services Officers, as documented in Warrant of Precedence (WoP), Post War Pay Committee Report & Raghuramiah Committee Report.  JCOs have been accorded Gazetted Officers status by an Act of Parliament vide Section 3 (xii) of Army Act 1950. Senior NCOs always carried the status of Non Gazetted Officers. However, MoD has started equating JCOs with Non Gazetted/ Gp C employees & Sr NCOs with even lower level employees. Lts & Capts are being equated with Gp B Offrs, Lt Cols with Dy Dir/ Under Secys (lowest Gp A designation), Cols with Jt Dir/ Dy Secys (2^nd Gp A designation) & Brigs with Directors (3^rd Gp A designation). This issue of Degradation of Military ranks is being actively pursued by AFHQ CS Cadre, which is a Gp B internal support cadre of Services HQ, in their quest for comparative up gradation of their own cadre designations.

A number of letters on these degraded equations have been issued by CAO/ MoD/ Cabinet Sectt during last over 20 years. Though RM had ordered for cancellation of one such letter during Jan 2018, but host of other letters remain in force. These equations are now slowly & slowly being put into effect on ground in all functional aspects in Services HQ, ISOs, MoD & on Deputations in other Deptts/ Ministries, including Channel of Reporting, Protocols & various Entitlements.

Also, presently Armed Forces have almost no say in decision making in their own Ministry. Even files endorsed by Chiefs are being subjected to scrutiny by lower bureaucracy. Decision making in MoD is being directly influenced by lower level civil bureaucrats who have aggressively started competing for status & service privileges applicable to uniformed personnel, thereby actively attempting to downgrade & degrade the Armed Forces.

Pay Parity Downgradation.

Till 5 CPC, Brigs were placed in SAG II equivalent Pay Scales, Lt Cols in Director’s Pay Scales & 2/Lts had their starting Pay Scale higher than IAS Officers. The JCOs were in Pay Scales equivalent to Gp B Gazetted Officers, while Sr NCOs were in Gp B Non Gazetted Pay Scales. Today the old established Pay Parity is almost bordering two  Rank downgradation. Presently Maj Gens are in Level 14 while Police ADGs have moved to Level 15; Cols are in Pay Level 13, applicable to NFSG Directors; Subedars are placed in Level 7, which is applicable to Non Gazetted employees & Nb Subs are Level 6, which is even lower than Non Gazetted. Havildars are in further   lower Pay Levels. This is the very reason the JCOs are not being given higher MSP, NFU is being refused to Officers & lateral absorption is not working out

Way Forward.

           

 In Dec 2008, PMO had directed for setting up of High Powered Committee (HPC) for resolving Status & Rank Equivalence issue. However, same has not been done till date. While Anomalies Committee was set up by Govt immediately after 7 CPC for resolving Pay Anomalies of Civilian employees, including Defence Civilians, no such Committee has been set up for resolving Defence Pay Anomalies till date. It is therefore imperative that:-

(a)                There is immediate need to arrest the downgradation and restore the status which existed as on 15 Aug 1947.  This be completed in a given schedule at the earliest say by 31 Dec 2018.

(b)               HPC consisting of Parliamentarians be set up by Govt for establishing one to one Rank equivalence with All India Services within three months ie by 30 Sep 2018.

(c)                Separate HPC consisting of Parliamentarians be also set up for resolving outstanding Pay Anomalies of Defence personnel by 30 Sep 2018.

(d)               MoD be restructured to include adequate representation from Armed Forces for balanced & synergised decision making earliest.

(e)                AFHQ Cadre in Services HQ & ISOs be replaced by employing ESM & non-empanelled Offrs, thereby bringing considerable savings to the Govt.

          

  It is against all principles of management that decisions on Armed Forces are being taken by civilian executives who do not understand the ethos and comraderie of Armed Forces. The main driving force of the armed forces is its discipline and the fact that a soldier dashes into to volley of bullets and sure death on orders of his commander are very complex issues, beyond comprehension of a person who is not involved in these issues. Decisions taken by individuals who do not understand these issues and emotions will be void of reality and will never be for raising morale of Armed Forces. Request of Armed Forces to include their representatives in decision making has always been brushed aside on the pretext that Armed Forces HQs are always consulted for any decision. Whereas we all know that that is not the truth and Armed Forces HQs are only given orders to implement whether they like it or not.

            With regards,

                                                            Yours Sincerely,

Maj Gen Satbir Singh, SM (Retd)                                                    Advisor United Front of Ex Servicemen &                                    Chairman Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement   (IESM)                  Mobile: 9312404269,      01244110570                                               Email:satbirsm@gmail.com   

Copy to :-

General Bipin Rawat,  UYSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM Chief of the Army Staff                                        Integrated HQs of Ministry of Defence (Army) South Block, New Delhi-110011	You are requested to take up this important issue jointly to restore the status of Defence Forces as suggested above.
Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa ,PVSM AVSM YSM VM ADC Chief of the Air Staff                                                         Integrated HQs of Ministry of Defence (Air Force) Vayu Bhawan, New Delhi 110011	Our request as above.
Admiral Sunil Lanba ,PVSM, AVSM, ADC                                         Chief of the Naval Staff  & Chairman Chiefs of Staffs Committee (CoSC) Integrated HQs of Ministry of Defence (Navy)  South Block, New Delhi -110011	Our request as above.