Armed forces personnel abroad by Maj Navdeep Singh

Monday, December 7, 2009
MEA being unfair to non-IFS Group A as well as Commissioned Officers
Everybody’s a royalty within his or her own domain. The MEA hence has its turf in our missions abroad.

Officers of Central Group A Services and Commissioned Officers are not getting their due while being on the strength of foreign missions. And this applies to status, entitlements as well as allowances. As we know, after the 6th CPC, Grade Pay is the determinant of all entitlements and allowances under the Central Government in India, but the same analogy is not being followed by the MEA in foreign missions, which are in fact, in accordance with law, a part of Indian Territory.

Colonels and equivalent of the Army (PB-4/GP 8700) and at times officers of the Rank of Director to Govt of India (PB-4/GP 8700) are being equated with First Secretaries of the MEA staff (PB-3/GP 7600) for the purposes of protocol and also foreign allowances. The Counsellor of the Mission from the IFS (PB-4/ GP 8700) outranks all other officers of similar grade from other services and in fact is granted a higher protocol than even a Brigadier of the Army (PB-4/GP 8900). Brigadiers have been tagged with Counsellors for rates of entitlements. Officers of the grade of Director to Govt of India with 20 years of service when on deputation to missions are being designated ‘First Secretaries’, an appointment which is essentially held by officers of the IFS with 9 years of service. It is also learnt that officers of the rank of Lt Col (PB-4/GP 8000) are being equated with IFS officers who are two ranks junior, that is, Second Secretaries (PB-3/GP 6600), for the purposes of certain entitlements whereas as far as I know, even MoD letter No 4(1)/98/D(Pay/Services) dated 19 May 1999 states that it is Majors who shall be equated with Second Secretaries for such purposes. Incidentally the ibid MoD letter also clearly stipulates that ‘pay’ for defence officers shall include (the then applicable)‘rank pay’.

The correct equation in Missions after the 6th CPC definitely has to be the following as far as the Defence Services are concerned : Minister – Brigadier – Counsellor / Colonel – Lt Col – First Secretary – Second Secretary / Major.
Posted by Navdeep / Maj Navdeep Singh at 5:30 AM 6 comments
Labels: Grade Pay, Status
Friday, December 4, 2009