7th Pay Commission: Armed forces raise concern with defence ministry

The armed forces have raised with the defence ministry their concerns about 'shortcomings' in the 7th Pay Commission report, Indian Navy chief Admiral R.K. Dhowan said on Thursday.

The navy chief, addressing the customary annual press conference here on the eve of Navy Day, was asked if there was discontent in the armed forces on the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.

"Whatever we feel are the shortcomings are being taken up by the three services with the defence ministry to see that whatever we feel is necessary for our men, our officers, our civilians, is made available to them," Dhowan said.

He said all issues of "concern" were being taken up with the ministry.

Officers of the armed forces feel the current pay commission recommendations were less rewarding.

Among the concerns was the way pension was calculated on the basis of number of years served in a particular rank.

A senior official who did not want to be named said: "The rank of major general is equivalent to joint secretary. But an IAS officer becomes joint secretary sooner than an armed forces personnel would reach that rank. And the percentage of those who reach that rank in the forces is also less, which makes the system unfair."

Another grudge is the risk-hardship matrix.

While a soldier posted at the Siachen Glacier gets an allowance of Rs.31,500 per month, a civilian bureaucrat draws 30 percent of his salary as "hardship allowance".