7 yrs later, SSC officers get promotion benefits

7 yrs later, SSC officers get promotion benefits 

Vijay Mohan/TNS

Chandigarh, March 14
About seven years after the Army revamped its promotion policy to ensure faster advancement up the hierarchy, a bizarre situation where the Army did not grant the benefit of “normal” pay, allowances and promotions to short service commission (SSC) officers, including women, who entered service prior to 2006 has now been corrected. Orders issued to this effect by the Armed Forces Tribunal today would affect hundreds of such officers.

Following the implementation of the AV Singh Committee recommendations made applicable to all officers who were in service in 2004, officers were to be promoted to the rank of Captain, Major and Lt Col after 2, 6 and 13 years of service, respectively. However, this benefit was withheld from short service officers commissioned prior to 2006 by an Army Headquarters’ directive despite the policy being approved by the government for all officers.

Consequently, male SSC officers continued to be promoted to the rank of Captain after nine years of service while women officers could become Captain after five years vis-à-vis just two years for regular officers irrespective of date of commission and SSC officers commissioned in 2006 and after. Further, while regular and post-2006 SSC officers could become Major and Lieutenant Colonel after six and 13 years service, respectively, the affected SSC officers were rendered ineligible for promotion to these ranks.

To make military service more attractive and to rationalise varied promotional avenues, the government implemented the recommendations of the AV Singh Committee in December 2004, under which time-bound promotions were provided for the ranks of Captain, Major and Lieutenant Colonel after 2, 6 and 13 years service, respectively. The earlier time-span for these promotions was 5, 10 and 15-18 years
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