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Sunday, October 2, 2011

For those who are eagerly waiting for the promulgation of the ‘status-correction’ High Powered Committee

Readers would recall that during the rank-equation chaos days after the 6th CPC, the PMO had ordered the constitution of a High Powered Committee to resolve command & control and status issues vis-à-vis civil officers including those of the CAPFs and the IPS. The PMO had not issued any orders related to the members of the committee.

The HPC has not been formulated or actually constituted till date. Many of us remain eager for its formulation in the hope that the HPC would go on to resolve and restore the lost status and sheen of the forces.

I am personally of the opinion that we should not clamour for the committee.

Why you may ask ?

Because, in consequence to the directions of the PMO, the Finance Minister had issued a note to the MoD asking them to constitute the committee, a look at the members directed by the FM would be interesting :-

The Cabinet Secretary as the Head of the Committee with the Defence Secretary, the Home Secretary, the Secretary (Personnel) and Secretary (Expenditure) as members.

Now what do you expect out of a committee which does not even have one member from the actual stake holders, that is, the Defence Services ?

Zilch. Don’t wait for it.

And by the way, what is the locus of the FM in directing the composition of the committee ? Is it even a subject matter of the Fin Min ?

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maj Navdeep,
Thanx for the update. Pretty much on expected lines. Is this the consideration given to instructions from the highest office in the country? What can one say and do but wait for people to understand the justified feelings of defence services personnel?

sl said...

Armed forces veterans who retired sans the benefits of AVS Phase I will never forget how the then Hon'ble Minister of Defence, currently the Hon'ble Finance Minister, omitted to effect a retrospective implementation of the recommendations. That would not have been the case if a powerful union or association of central govt. civilian employees had been affected. One can never be too chary of inclinations of that nature.

Harry said...

Well ..well..well!

This is what happens even after the intervention by the highest Executive Authority (PM)! What credibility would any assurance in future have from the good Doctor?

Lesson : Never take a politician's word on face value and never let the pressure up till grievances are redressed as hollow and insincere assurances are pretty meaningless.

It is time for AF brass to strongly stand up for our dues and let the MoD/Political est know that things are going from bad to worse!!!

vivswb said...

MAJ NAVDEEP,
Firstly Finance Minister Pranab Mukharjee is the de-facto Prime Minister& Dr MMS is just a mask/titular prime minister.
Secondly Both are puppets in hands of unscrupulous bureaucrats

Anonymous said...

wht's wrong with this govt?if this is what happens in spite of having an honest prime minister,GOD save us all.wht's our defence minster doing??MMS and antony are best suited for being priests than politicians.

Kaps said...

This just lends credence to the fact that the 'civilian supremacy over AF' has actually become a farcical and detrimental thing. If anybody had any doubts after VI CPC that India is being turned into a police state, those doubts should have vanished after 16 Aug 11. This committee will provide the obituary for stature of AF.

What is interesting is that when PM was FM, MM was Gov RBI and now again when PM is FM, MM is PM. In a Govt where every desk worth its wood is a power center, I wonder whether there is any cohesion and foresight at all in this govt, what with the arrogance of babooze getting into a heady mixture with power thirst of neta.

rajkumar said...

ANY SORT OF PARITY IS NOT POSSIBLE TO
ARRIVE ACCEPTABLE TO BOTH ARMED FORCES AND CIVIL SIDE UNLESS DEFENCE SERVICES AND CIVIL SERVICES ARE RAISED ON SIMILAR LINES .
LET THEM WORK SEPARATELY IN THEIR OWN DOMAIN

rajawat said...

maj navdeep why r u hosting banner of a dating flirting site on your site . does it mean let us enjoy forget about parity

Navdeep / Maj Navdeep Singh said...

@rajawat. Adverts popping up now and then on the blog are not in the hands of the publisher. Secondly, different people see different ads depending upon location of access. Hence I have no control on these ads.

rajawat said...

THANKS FOR CLARIFICATION MAJ NAVDEEP

mhkhan said...

the salary of a captain is more than a district magistrate in many cases. I havent seen any IAS fighting that he should be paid more than this. One only talks of these kind of irrational issues like 'status' when he is not satisfied or contended with his own job and starts looking at others' job. I think army needs to put his house in order and make officers enjoy their job.

Anonymous said...

No, it is not only army, it is the same story with every department which is controlled by IAS officers..be it revenue, forest, police, transport and u name any except railways and posts..u are not alone and more a person goes at the top, more spineless he becomes..again, this is true of all directorates and not only of AHQ...One should be privy to the discussion of the closed IAS group mail to understand all this..their next aim is to take post of foreign secretary..one does not realise at lower levels but at higher levels, trust me , the system is so tightly regulated and dominated in each and every matter by them that even politicians ( of the extent of PM)cant do anything without these permanent executives..and all matters, even the most sensitive matters are seen from the prism of domination over other services...U people are still lucky that at least for your ROUTINE WORK , purse strings are with your bosses, and not with them...And in all matters, never a stakeholder's view is taken and again it is always viewed with power games... Your bossess can never put a fight to these domination as they look for some post retirement benefits and example of pakistan, burma etc etc are portrayed to political bosses..

Anonymous said...

I feel the services are the only organisation whose reps do not find any place in any HPC that is constituted to decide their own fate. In case of civilians you will find their senior officers as well their associatio/union office bearers as members of such commitees.

We must take it up a case with the govt for ensuring our representation.

Have a good day.

COL LAMBA said...

THE TITLE'IS OUR ARMY TOTALLY HONEST AND NON CORRUPT." WAS NEVER TRUE IN AY ERA. YOU CAN SAY PERCENTAGE WISE UP/DOWN
THE ARMY STATUS WAS ABOVE IAS/IPS. IN 6TH CPC COL[SELECTION] IS DENIED HAG SCALE EVEN SUPER TIME SCALE. COL[SELECTION] IS COMMANDING OFFICER OF TROOPS. WHEN IAS/IPS FAIL IN THEIR DUTIES HE COMES IN AID OF CIVIL POWER/ MAY BE EARTH QUAKE/FLOOD RELIEF/TRAIN ACCIDENT/ASIAIN GAMES/CHILD IN WELL& SO ON. HE RESTORES SITUATION & GIVES BACK TO CIVIL. NEVER FORGETS TO SECURE BORDER IN DIFFICULT AREA, NOW YOU HAVE DEGRADED HIM TO THAT LEVEL IN STATUS/PAY WHICH IS AGAINST FUNDAMENTAL LAW OF EQUALITY & VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 14.THEN YOU EXPECT YOUR BORDER ARE SAFE. WAIT FOR SOME TIME OR A WAR YOU WILL NEITHER GET SAFETY NOR SHELTER, ELSE WAKE UP & GIVE HIM HIS DUE. KINDLY SEE
THE BULK OF ARMY OFFICER RETIRES IN COL [TS] RANK & BELOW.SO IDEALLY THEY SHOULD BE IN SUPER TIME SCALE.
3. COL [SELECTION GRADE] SHOULD BE ABOVE SUPER TIME SCALE, THEY ARE BEING PAID DEGRADED PAY & PENSION.
4. A DIG WHO WAS ONE TIME JUNIOR TO Lt COL HAS BEEN MOVED TO BRIG PAY BAND AND COL HAS BECOME JUNIOR TO HIM.DIG RANK [TS] IS ACHIEVED IN 14 YEARS, WHERE AS LT COL [TS] 11 YEARS % COL [TS] IN 26 YEARS. WHAT AN INJUSTICE TO COL WHAT A JOKE WITH COL [TS] & GOD SAVE FATE OF COL [SELECTION] Colonel has been equated with Non-Functional Selection Grade (NFSG
5. Colonel has been equated with Non-Functional Selection Grade (NFSG).
6. NOW DIG [WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN SSP IN ACTUAL IF POLICE UPGRADATION DURING COAS MALHOTRA TIME IS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT] HAS BEEN PUT AT PAR WITH BRIG [
ANDHER NAGRI CHAUPTE RAJA TAKKE SER BHAJI TAKKE SER KHAJA]
NOW FURTHER DEGRADATION
7. WHERE IS REWARD TO COL/BRIG WHO WORKED HARD FOR PROMOTION & ORGANISATIONAL GROWTH, ALL THEIR LIFE COL IS IN FORE FRONT DURING PEACE/WAR AND WITH DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH MEN.COL IS A KING PIN BETWEEN TROOPS & HIGHER UPS.
8. DIFFERENCE OF PAY SCALE OF COL[S] VS LT COL [TS/S] WIIL BE COL LTS] =59400-58090=1310- INCOME TAX @20%+CESS 3%=RS .777/
AS THERE IS HARDLY ANY DIFFERENCE IN TAKE HOME PAY OF COL [TS] & COL [SELECTION]. SO WHY BOTHER ATTITUDE WILL PREVAIL.
MOREOVER NO /ZERO DIFFERENCE IN PENSION THAN WHY SLOG & GET KILLED OR INJURED WHEN NO BENEFITS / REWARD FOR WORKING
9. A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR ARMY.BULK OF ARMY OFFICER RETIRES IN COL & BELOW RANK. FOR JUST RS 777/ WHY SLOG FOR LIFE & RISK LIFE.A BIRTH TO COWARD ARMY WILL COME TO LIGHT IF THIS SITUATION PREVAIL]
11.IS Army A different from all other org so the army officer and hence they do not deserve to get pay and pension equal to others so country is degrading them in each and every pay commission. Like every group an officer gets into the scale of 67000-79000 PRINCESS & CHILDREN OF ELITE FAMILIES USE TO JOIN ARMY. NOW THE QUALITY OF OFFICER BEING INDUCTED & THEY ARE NOT FROM ELITE SOCIETY SO MENTAL LEVEL WILL BE LOWER. TO ADD TO IT THEY TOO ARE LEAVING HENCE SHORTAGE OF OFFICER. TO FIGHT A WAR YOU NEED INDIAN OFFICER FROM INDIAN ORIGIN. YOU CAN TAKE CONSULTANTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES & NOT ARMY OFFICER.LOOK AFTER BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.
13 IAS /1PS HAVE 3 HAG BAND [FOR ALL SELECTION GRADE] & ARMY HAS 4 GRADES ONLY FOR GENERAL & 6 GRADES FOR SELECTION OFFICER. THEY ARE EATING AWAY PAY OF COL /BRIG [SELECTION GRADE]
14.THERE IS IMMEDIATE NEED TO REVISE PAY/PENSION OF selection GRADE COL/BRIG w.e.f. 1/1/2006.THEY HAVE TO BE KEPT ABOVE SUPER TIME SCALE TO MAINTAIN THEIR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT OF EQUALITY & MAINTAIN SANCTITY OF ARTICLE 14OF CONSTITUTION
Above Super Time Scale (HAG)(Pay-Band-4) Special Commissioner of Police 67,000- 79,000
Additional Director General of Police, Commissioner of Police (City), Special or Additional Director (GOI), Special Above Super Time Scale-IAS
There are three Pay Bands in this scale.
• Rs 37400-67000. Grade Pay of Rs 12000.

Vishesh said...

I am a CPMF officer and had served closely with Army. I felt that Army is in a habit of exaggerating things to get the benefits on pretext of defense/war/national security. Army officers first of all clears a very easy competitive exam which needs no preparation at all, even below average people can go through it. first you demanded time bound promotion till Col now you want higher pay scales for your officers who are stagnant in their careers. Army officers are always after seniority issues. if you want pay and perks similar to civil servants then why don't you clear civil services exam. After following a easy route you cant get the benefits of one who works hard and then becomes IAS/IPS. Here its important to bring in kind notice of Army Officers is that CPMF officers are also selected by UPSC and our working environment/ stress factors is much more threatening then yours.We don't have any time bound promotion. Every promotion is absolutely vacancy based. At borders we are ahead of you and at peace stations where you people enjoy wines in your officers mess, we deal with Maoist/insurgents/naxals. So practically we don't have a peace station as such you people have and get it after every hard tenure. so if anyone deserves higher pay and perks it is CAPF officers.