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Army airs discontent with pay panel

Sandeep Dikshit

NEW DELHI: The Army has officially acknowledged its unhappiness with the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations, saying that the implementation of the recommended pay scales will have a deleterious impact on morale.

So far the armed forces have let retired peers quarterback their demand for a better monetary deal because by law, serving personnel can neither form an association nor voice their grievances in public. However, the Army came out with a news release on Friday which not only warned of a fall in morale but listed all its expectations from the high level panel to review the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations.

Effect on morale

The news release on the army commanders’ conference — a biannual event of the top brass — said exclusive sessions were earmarked for deliberations on the shortfall in the authorised strength of the officers’ cadre and the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission.

“Both these issues [will] have serious impact on morale and motivation of the armed forces’ personnel as well as continued operational effectiveness,” said the release.

It went on to state that the shortfall in the officers cadre was an “outcome of reduced intake” as well as the “growing trend” of personnel seeking premature release. Besides seeking an “equitable financial compensation package which will surely boost intake,” the conference sought “lucrative separation and continuation terms,” “correcting the aberration in grade pays in the middle officers ranks and restoring their status and parity with other government services” and a hike in the military special pay for soldiers.

Though it was unusual for the Army to air in-house deliberations on its unhappiness with the pay panel’s recommendations, it was not the only issue on the conference’s agenda. Besides a detailed appraisal of the operational and security situation in each theatre, senior commanders also discussed measures to improve efficiency and promote inclusiveness. These included upgrading the training curricula and methodology of soldiers, expediting defence purchases by refining the purchase policy and feasibility of granting permanent commission to women officers.

It also deliberated upon consolidating network-centric capabilities and increasing cyber security.

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