Reviewing Pay and Allowances of Armed Forces Personnel

Reviewing Pay and Allowances of Armed Forces Personnel

The Government entrusted the task to a Pay Commission in 1973, at the time of setting up of 3rd Central Pay Commission. The Government had set up a Post War Pay Committee in 1947, a departmental pay committee (Raghuramiah Committee) during 1959-60 and another Departmental Committee in 1967 for review of pay and allowances of Defence Forces Personnel. There was general discontentment amongst the Services with respect to the recommendations of these Committees. Thereafter, the Government decided to entrust the examination of structure of emoluments, including benefits in cash and kind and death cum retirement benefits of the Armed Forces to the 3rd Central Pay Commission.

The terms of reference with respect to the Armed Forces personnel were different to the extent that the 3rd Central Pay Commission was not required to make recommendations on the conditions of service of the Armed Forces personnel. Though, the matters related to pension of Defence Service personnel was referred to 3rd Pay Commission, there has been no clubbing with civilians. The Commission felt that by and large, the principles followed by Armed Forces Pension Revision Committee (AFPRC) continue to be valid. The 3rd Pay Commission had considered the peculiar conditions of service and hierarchical set up of the Services, age of retirement, period of qualifying service pension etc. in respect of Armed Forces personnel. As such there has been no mistake in entrusting the matter to 3rd Central Pay Commission.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar in a written reply to Shri Mahendra Singh Mahra in Rajya Sabha today.

PIB

Upgradation in Pension to JCO/ ORs Armed Forces retired/ discharged/ invalided out of service prior to 01.01.2006

Subject:    Implementation of Government decision on the recommendations of the Committee Secretaries 2012 on the issues related to Defence Service Personnel and Ex-Servicemen- Improvement in Pension of JCO/ ORs Armed Forces retired/ discharged/ invalided out of service prior to 01.01.2006.


Reference:    This office Circular No. 501 dated 17.01.2013.

PDAs are aware that as per Para 6.2 of this Office circular cited under reference, special pension/ invalid pension/ service element of disability pension in respect of JCO/ORs discharged with qualifying service of less than 15 years and service pension of TA personnel would also need to be revised in terms of MOD letter dated 17.01.2013. Since specific tables for less than 15 years qualifying service in this regard were not provided in the ibid Govt. letter. PDAs were advised to refer such cases to PSAs concerned on Annexure “B” to the MOD letter. Accordingly, such cases are being referred to PSAs by the PDAs on Annexure 13′ for further necessary action.

2. It has been observed that in some cases with qualifying service of less than 15 years these GOI MOD orders are not beneficial. In such cases, either there is no change in revised rates or revised rates in terms of these orders works out to be less than Rs. 3500/-. Therefore, such cases are need not to be referred to their PSAs. These cases are as under-

(a) In case of ORs;-
In case of ORs (i.e., Sepoy, Naik, Havildar and its equivalents), it has been examined from the Annexure ‘B’ received from the PDAs that in some cases where Q.S. is below 15 years, the revised pension as on 24.09.2012 works out to less than Rs. 3500/-. Hence there is no change in their service element since they are already drawing the minimum pension. The cases where revised pension in terms of above cited GOI, MOD letter is worked out less than Rs 3500/- and the same has been stepped up to Rs 3500/- are as follows-

S.No.	Rank	Group	Q.S. upto
1.	Sepoy & its equivalents	Y	6.5 years
2.	Sepoy & its equivalents	Z	7.5 years
3.	TS/ Hony. Naik & its equivalents	Y	6.5 years
4.	TS/ Hony. Naik & its equivalents	Z	7.5 years
5.	Naik & its equivalents	Y	6.5 years
6.	Naik & its equivalents	Z	7.5 years
7.	Hony. Havildar & its equivalents	Z	7.5 years
8.	Haviladar & its equivalents	Z	7.5 years

(b) In case of JCOs:-
In case of JCOs (i.e. Naib Subedar, Subedar, Subedar Major and its equivalents), it has been found that there is no change in revised rates in terms of ibid GOI MOD letter except in Rank of Subedar Major in Group-’X’ in Army. Therefore, PDAs are advised not to refer such type of cases on Annexure to their PSAs. The cases which are not to be submitted to PSAs are as under:-

S.No.	Rank	Group	Q.S. below
1.	Naib Subedar & its equivalents	All groups	15 years
2.	Subedar & its equivalents	All groups	15 years
3.	Subedar Major & its equivalents (except Subedar Major, group-X only in Army not for Navy & Air Force)	All groups	15 years

3. It is therefore, advised that cases of such type of JCO/ORs pensioners may not be sent to PSAs on Annexure ‘U. The payment of pension in these cases may be regulated at the existing rates at PDAs level and pensioners may be informed accordingly.

SOURCE-http://pcdapension.nic.in