Points by Col MMP Kalra on 6th Pay Comm

Dear Brigadier,
I am sending herewith one page brief.
With best regards,
Col MMP Kala


A CASE FOR ONE RANK ONE PENSION

1 The Pay Commission has done a great injustice to the pensioners by on the one hand grouping the serving personnel in to four pay bands PB1 to PB4 instead of 30 pay scales existing till 2005, and on the other hand it has kept fixed pay scaled for the Secretaries of the Government of India and the Cabinet Secretary and equivalent. It has stipulated that the pre2006 pensioners will get pensions as applicable to the lowest rung of the pay band. The result of the former is that while the post 2005 retirees get the pension for the entire length of their service, and draw pensions accordingly, the pre2006 pensioners:-
(a) Sepoys to Havildars, having put in 17 to 21 years of service are getting pensions as if they had served for ju served for just one year in the Army, the difference in their pensions being the pension on the rank pay.;
(b) Naib Subedar to Subedar Majors, having put in 28 to 32 years of service respectively get the same
(c) pension as the Naib Subedar with one year service, plus the pension on the rank pay;
(d) Captain with 20 years and Majors with 30 years service get the pension as if they had served just for one year in the Army, difference in their pension being due to pension on the rank pay;
(e) Lieutenant Colonels, Colonels, Brigadiers and Major Generals, having put in 33 years and more of reckonable service get the pension as if they had served for only 14 years in the Army, difference in their pensions being due to the pension on the rank pay.
2. The result of the above has created differences such that a new sepoy draws more pension than old havildar, a new Naib Subedar retiree draws more pension than a Subedar Major, a new retiree honorary lieutenant draws more pension than an older retiree Major; a new retiree Lieutenant Colonel who commanded some 100 plus men would draw more pension than an old retiree Major General who commanded over 15000 thousand men, scores of tanks and guns, and was possibly responsible for the defence of more than a 100 to 1000 times of territorial area. The state off the family pensioners, especially those of other rank is pathetic. Further, the disability pension scales differ for the pre 2005 disabled soldiers. IS THIS JUSTICE? IS EQUAL WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY NOT TO BE REWARDED EQUALLY OR HAVE THE RIGHTS UNDER ARTICLE 14 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA BEEN TAKEN AWAY FROM PRE2006 RETIREES BY THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ? ARE THEY ALIENS TO BE SO TREATED?

3 The fixation of fixed scales for the top notches is the bane of the pension scales. A more judicious pension scale for all would have emerged had the entire officer cadre, irrespective of status, rank and station been bracketed in one pay in one pay band or alternatively there had been separate pay scales for each rank
.
4 The new pensioners are a happy lot, little realizing that come the next pay commission, if this Government comes to power in the next General Elections, their fate will be similar to the pre 2005 retirees.

5 The Government has indicated thee objections ie administrative, legal and financial. One cannot see any administrative grounds against OROP. As for the Legal ground, indeed the civilian employees will seek parity, and why not; they too are the citizens of this country and arguments applicable to OROP are also applicable to them. As for the financial aspects, the Government has been more than magnanimous to the Ervin soldiers and civilian employees, then why has been unkind to the old pensioners? The Government increased the annual increment from pay commission recommendation of 2 to 3 percent, granted stagnation pay in 8th, 16th and 24th year which is a reward for inefficiency, and has granted allowances like a liberal transport allowance, air travel facility Is the stringency only for the old pensioners?