Initial pay fixation of re-employed ex-servicemen who held posts below Commissioned Officer Rank in Defence Forces, retired before attaining the age of 55 years and have been appointed on re-employment basis in civilian posts in Railways etc

NFIR

No. 11/35/2018

Dated: 11/04/2018

The Secretary,
Department of Personnel & Training,
North Block,
Central Secretariat,
New Delhi-110001

Dear Sir,

Sub: Initial pay fixation of re-employed ex-servicemen who held posts below Commissioned Officer Rank in Defence Forces, retired before attaining the age of 55 years and have been appointed on re-employment basis in civilian posts in Railways etc - reg.

Ref: (i) General Secretary/NFIR's letter No. I1/35/Part XIV dated 29/01/2018 addressed to the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India.
(ii) PMO ID No. PMOPG/D/2018/0044515 dated 02/02/2018 addressed to the Secretary, DoP&T and copy to the Federation.

The Federation desires to invite kind attention of the DoP&T to the reference made by the General Secretary, NFIR vide letter No. II/35/Part XIV dated 29/01/2018 (addressed to the Hon'ble Prime Minister) on the subject matter, the same has however, been forwarded by the PMO vide ID No. PMOPG/D/2018/0044515 dated 02/02/2018 for taking further action and conveying the outcome to the Federation.

In this connection, Federation once again brings to the notice of the DoP&T that injustice is being meted out to the former Defence Forces Personnel (PBORs), reemployed in Railways and other Central services on account of the fact that the pay drawn by them at the time of retirement from Defence Forces (prior to attaining 55 years age) has not been protected on their re-employment, while those retired Defence Forces Personnel on re-employment in the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) of Central/State Governments have been granted the benefit of pay fixation on the last pay drawn at the time of retirement from Armed Forces. The discrimination has resulted disappointment and frustration among the reemployed retired Armed Forces Personnel in Railways and Central Civil Services.

This subject was dealt by the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR), at the level of Railway Ministry in the negotiating fora of PNM, demanding pay re-fixation in favour of re-employed Defence Forces Personnel on the basis of last pay drawn more particularly those who have been re-employed on and after 01/01/2006. On a reference made by Railway Ministry vide O.M. No. E(G)2013/EM 1-5 dated 07/12/2016, the DoP&T had however not agreed for reckoning last pay drawn for pay re-fixation on re-employment in railways. The Federation encloses a copy of Railway Ministry OM dated 07/12/2016 to the DoP&T and reply thereon received from DoP&T vide OM dated 21/02/2017.

Federation also states that DoP&T vide OM dated 18th Oct 2017 called for suggestions for finding single methodology for pay re-fixation of all the ex-servicemen including PBORs, commissioned officers, ex-competent clerks/storemen, NFIR vide letter of even no. dated 21/12/2017 has submitted valid suggestions to the Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Dept of Ex-Servicemen, Welfare, South Block, New Delhi, as follows:-

(a) Considering the crucial role of Defence Forces Personnel in safeguarding the Nation’s borders, they be given pay fixation on the basis of their last pay drawn on re-employment in the Railways and other Central Government Departments.

(b) Their pension needs to be totally ignored as the pension is the social security net provided in recognition to their loyal services to the nation.

(c) The PBORs are not the Personnel of high rankings with higher wages, therefore their case needs to be considered with sympathy and their last pay drawn at the time of retirement from armed forces, to be treated as entry pay on re-employment in Railways and Central Government Departments.

(d) Alternatively, the number of years service rendered by the PBORs in Armed Forces be taken into account for granting pay fixation duly adding the quantum of equal number of increments to the minimum pay of the re-employed post. This may be made applicable to all PBORs who have joined Central Government Departments after 01/01/2006.

(e) In those cases of PBORs retired before attaining the age of 55 years and got re-employment in Government services, their initial pay on re-employment may be fixed at the minimum of the scale of pay prescribed for the post and after fixing the pay, in case the initial pay so fixed, is found to be less than the last pay drawn in the Armed Forces, all such cases may be treated as "cases of undue hardship" and in those cases, their pay may be re-fixed at higher stage duly granting one increment for each year of service rendered in the Armed Forces in order to bring their initial pay at par with the pre-retirement pay, while their pension already drawn be continued un-altered.

NFIR, therefore, requests to kindly see that the above legitimate request of former Defence Forces Personnel is agreed to and orders issued soon. Federation also requests to kindly communicate the action taken in the matter early.

DA/As above

Yours sincerely,
S/d,
(Dr. M. Raghavaiah)
General Secretary

Source: NFIR