Tuesday, April 22, 2008

PM Assures Armed Forces Of Pay Hike

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has for the first time reassured the defence services that their grievances over the Pay Commission report will be dealt with. The military has been extremely upset with marginal pay hikes proposals for mid-level officers and jawans. Several officers in all three services have already put in their papers. The Pay Commission has recently submitted its report and some apprehensions have been expressed by certain sections of the civil services on parts of the report, he said addressing senior officers on the Civil Services Day in New Delhi. ''''They will quit in droves if you don''t pay them more,'''' that''s what the service chiefs had told Defence Minister AK Antony after the sixth Pay Commission''s recommendations set off a storm of protests in the armed forces a month ago. So the prime minister''s words on April 21 were reassuring.

''''Some concerns and apprehensions have been expressed by some sections of the civil services on some parts of the report. Government has already set in motion a mechanism for hearing and redressing these grievances. I would like our civil and defence services to be properly rewarded,'''' said Manmohan. The Prime Minister''s words are, perhaps, also meant to egg on the committee of secretaries which was set up after the service chiefs complained. ''The fundamental issue is a fresh IIM graduate starts with a Rs 50,000 or Rs 60,000 a month, but a colonel from the Army, after 26-27 years, 10-15 years of separation, really doing things by the country, takes home a salary of about Rs 25,000 or Rs 26,000,'''' said Col Gopal Karunakaran.

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