Details of discussion held between RM & the Team of Hon. Lt. Narsingh

Details of discussion held between RM & 5Ex-Servicemen Welfare letter No. 12(1)/2014/D(Pen/Pol)-part-ii dated 7th Nov, 2017 regarding Re-Fixation of all pensioners on the basis of the average of Minimum and Maximum pension of personnel retired in 2013. Pensions of all Pre- 30-06-2014 pensioners should be Re-fixed on the basis of Maximum Pension of personnel retired in 2014 instead of 2013 for OROP.

 7.     Seniority in the ranks not maintained:- Refer any tables of PCDA (Pension) Circular No. 555 dated 04th Feb, 2016 for JCO’s/OR’s seniority of the ranks is not at all  maintained. In some cases pension is same from 15 years to 28 years of Qualifying Service. Pension tables of all JCO’s / OR’s should be again re-computed for arriving at correct pension.  

8.     Equalization of Pension after five years:- Refer Para-3, sub Para-V of GoI, MoD, Dept. of Ex-Servicemen welfare letter No. 12(1)/2014/D(Pen/Pol)-Part-ii dated 7th Nov, 2015 regarding equalization of pension after five years. True meaning of OROP is that a pensioner of same Rank, same Group and same length of Service should draw same pension in 3 sister services. This is only possible when pension is equalized every year.

 9.     ACP-I/II/III benefit:- Refer Para-11, sub Para- a), b) and C) of PCDA(Pension) Circular No. 555 dated 4th Feb, 2016 regarding grant of ACP benefits. As per above Circular Hony Naik, Hony Havildar and Hony Naib Subedar have separate tables for all types of Pensions, where as for Post-2006 retirees if ACP is granted to them their pension is revised as per the tables of Naik, Havildar and Naib Subedar. ACP I/II/III benefit should also be extended to all Pre- 2006 Hony Naiks, Hony Havidars and Hony Naib Subedars as like ACP Naiks / ACP Havildars and ACP Naib Subedars.   

  DOWNGRADATION  IN  STATUS  OF  JCOs  

10.  a)  Status of JCOs:-

JCOs of Armed Forces have been accorded statutory of Status of Gazetted Officer by an act of Parliament vide Section 3(xii) of Army Act 1950. However their status has got seriously degraded over the years due to incorrect fixation of their due to incorrect fixation of their Pays/Grade Pay/Pay Level. While Civilian employees have moved to higher Grade Pay/Pay Level due to post Pay Commission modification by Govt. based on JCM Mechanism, the Pay of JCOs of Armed Forces remained un-revised as JCM Mechanism is not applicable to them. Page 144 of 7th CPC Report explaining as to how pay of a Non- Gazetted Assistants has been increased by Govt. post Pay Commission awards.   

  b)  This has created a serious anomaly where in statutorily Gazetted JCOs of Armed forces have been placed in lower Pay Level than Non- Gazetted Civilian Employees. The Gazetted N Subs are in Pay Level- 6 where as Non- Gazetted Assistants are in Pay Level- 7, this needs to be rectified soon, because above anomaly is not only unjustified but legally untenable also. It is in gross violation of Govt. Instructions and judgments by Court of Law on this subject issue. It is requested that as there is no JCM like Mechanism existing for Defence a high powered committee should be set to resolve this grave anomaly because it is as well as effecting Ex-Servicemen pensions also.  

7th CENTRAL PAY COMMISSION

11.    Incorrect calculations of Entry Level Pay of JCO’s and equivalence in Navy and Air Force.
a)    The existing system of Pay Band and Grade Pay of 6th CPC has been replaced with separate Pay Matrices for Defence, Military Nursing Service and Civilians personnel in 7th CPC from 01.01.2016 onwards.
b)    Fixation of Pay of each employee in the new Pay Matrix as on 01.01.2016 has been revised by multiplying his/ her basic pay (Pay in the Pay Band + Grade Pay) by a factor of 2.57.
c)       In each Pay Level (Rank Level) a MF of 2.57 for Havildar and below, 2.62 for JCO,s and 2.67 for Hony Lt to Brigadier was applied on Basic Pay + Grade Pay of 6th CPC to determine Entry Level Pay.
d)    Entry Pay to any pay band could either be through an upward movement from lower pay band or through direct entry. While pay of a person moving from a lower pay band to a higher one on promotion would be regulated by the pay fixation formulation prescribed (pay was fixed at the minimum of the pay band plus grade pay).
e)     Refer Para 5.1.19 for rationalization applied in Present Pay structure is at Table No. 4 (Copy enclosed) of 7th CPC report.                                                              f)      Prior to 7th CPC there used to be separate scale for “X” and “ Y” group of same ranks of JCO’s and even separate scales for the same equivalence rank Navy and Air Force also.
g)    7th CPC brought in new formula of Common Pay Scales for each Pay Level (Rank Level) for all the “X” and “Y” Groups.
h)    For Entry Level Pay there is a loss to JCO’s in calculation with MF of 2.62 on minimum pay level awarded (copy attached)

i)       Real time loss in calculation of Entry Level Pay for JCO’s is as under:-                RANK                                       Group                     ELP            LOSS
i)          N Sub/ CPO/ JWO                   X / Y             41100 – 35400 = 5700/- ii)       Sub/ MCPO-2/ WO                 X / Y             46200 -  44900 = 1300/- iii)     Sub Maj/ MCPO-1/ MWO      X / Y             50500 -  47600 = 2900/-                 

12.  Revision of Pension as per First formulation (Option-1):-

Refer Para-4 of GoI, MoD, Dept. of Ex-Servicemen Welfare letter No.17(01)/2017(02)/D(Pension/Policy) dated 5th Sept,2017 regarding revision of pension of pre-2016 as per Formulation-1 (Option-1) and Para-3 of PCDA(Pension) Circular No. 585 also for Formulation-1. But as per Para- 4.1 of PCDA(Pension) Circular No. 570 pensions of all pre 2016 was revised by multiplying the Basic Pension (before Commutation) / Basic Family Pension (exclusive of Dearness Relief) as had been drawn as on 31-12-2015 by 2.57 to arrive as revised pension as per Formulation-2 (Option-2). So benefit of OROP was given in Option-2, but as per the Annexture-1 of PCDA (Pension) Circular No. 585 for Commissioned Officer/JCO’s/OR’s it seems that OROP benefit will not be given to pre- 30-06-2014 retirees.

In view of above it is suggested that instead of notionally computing the pension as per 6th CPC scales it should be revised taking the OROP scales / 6th CPC scales as drawn on 31-12-2015 like it was done as per PCDA (Pension) Circular No. 570 for Formulation-2 (Option-2).   

   In view of above it is requested that above anomalies may please be rectified/solved for the welfare of Ex-Servicemen Pensioners/Family Pensioners at the earliest.    

Thanking you in anticipation.                                                                                                 Yours sincerely,                                                                                                Nar Singh Dass,                      Ex- MCPO-1 (Hony S/Lt),                       No. 091237-H                                                       -                                                                                                                                           Encl:- 1) Table 4 : Rationalization Applied in the 6th CPC Pay Structure.        
   2) Details of incorrect calculation of Entry Level Pay for JCO’s

Copy to:-     The Secretary,   
  Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare,    5-A, South Blok, Ministry of Defence,     New Delhi-110011.