Centre's nod for supernumerary air marshal's post

The union cabinet on Wednesday approved the creation of a supernumerary post in the rank of air marshal in the Indian Air Force for 17 months in compliance with the Armed Forces Tribunal orders, an official statement said.

The creation of the supernumerary post in the Indian Air Force from December 1, 2014, to April 30, 2016, is over and above its sanctioned strength of air marshals in the aeronautical engineering branch.

The move will enable the defence ministry to seek approval of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on the promotion of AVM Sanjay Sharma in accordance with the proceedings of Review Special Promotion Board-2014 as directed by the Armed Forces Tribunal (Principal Bench), New Delhi.

After the sanction and subsequent approval of the Review Special promotion Board-2014 by the ACC, Sanjay Sharma will be considered for promotion to the rank of air marshal retrospectively from December 1, 2014.

Air Vice Marshal Sanjay Sharma, deputy senior maintenance staff officer at headquarters-maintenance, approached the ATF alleging that his annual reports were moderated and thereby he was brought down in merit vis-a-vis other officers considered for promotion.

"To honour the ATF decision, the Indian Air Force approached the government to create a supernumerary post," an official told IANS.

In 2005, the union cabinet under the then prime minister Manmohan Singh created a supernumerary post of an air marshal to accommodate Air Vice Marshal Harish Masand, who was denied promotion by the IAF in 2003.