7th Pay Commission unhappiness - BSF, Army Pay Parity remains Elusive

7th Pay Commission unhappiness - BSF, Army Pay Parity remains Elusive

7th Pay Commission - Nearly two weeks after soldiers from several central paramilitary forces went public with their grievances, documents reveal the stark disparity between the Indian Army and the Border Security Force (BSF).

Salary documents provided by the BSF, reveal there is a difference ranging from 2.5% to 48%, after the 7th Pay Commission was implemented, between pay scales of the BSF and the Army.

They show that a head constable in the BSF earns Rs.25,500 a month - Rs.3,700 less than his Army counterpart. A deputy commandant earns Rs.1,700 less than a major in the Army, a commandant draws Rs.7,200 less than a colonel, and a deputy inspector general of the BSF draws Rs.8,500 less than a brigadier in the Army. The biggest disparity is between the second-in-command (2IC) of the BSF and a Lt. Colonel of the Army-a pay gap of Rs.37,900.

"This debate has been going on for the last 50 years. But there has been no resolution as yet to bring the BSF and the Army on a par as far as salaries are concerned. The line of duty and combat is the same for both forces, but there is a major distinction," said a senior BSF officer on condition of anonymity.

While the home ministry is silent on the matter, the BSF bill of 1968, which was discussed in the Rajya Sabha in 1968, had argued that "the BSF in its functioning has all the disadvantages of the police and the Army without their corresponding advantages. This is a matter which needs looking into and remedial steps taken to redress balance in favour of the BSF with regard to leave, travel concessions, housing, education, allowance, etc."

Source: Livemint

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Paramilitary Forces awaiting government nod for One Rank One Pension OROP

Paramilitary Forces awaiting government nod for One Rank One Pension OROP



New Delhi: With the ‘One Rank, One Pension’ (OROP) scheme for military veterans set to be notified soon, officials of central paramilitary forces, too, may be in for good news soon as the government is likely to take a final decision on granting of “organised services” status to them.

New Delhi: With the ‘One Rank, One Pension’ (OROP) scheme for military veterans set to be notified soon, officials of central paramilitary forces, too, may be in for good news soon as the government is likely to take a final decision on granting of “organised services” status to them.

In a significant order by a division bench of Justices Kailash Gambhir and Najmi Waziri on September 3, Delhi High Court had asked the Centre to consider these forces as “organised services” and ensure non-functional financial upgradation (NFU) from 2006 in terms of the 6th Pay Commission.

“Home Ministry, the cadre-controlling authority of these officers, will soon take a final call in this regard as the court had given it eight weeks’ time to issue orders. That deadline will expire in the first week of November,” sources in the security establishment said.

They said the chiefs of these forces have also submitted their respective reports in this regard to the Home Ministry and have indicated that such upgradation should be granted to these personnel.

“Some officials of these forces, retired and serving, have also met Home Minister Rajnath Singh in this regard recently. He has assured them that the government will come out with its final decision soon,” they said.
Sources added that the government may take the final call on the issue post the declaration of Bihar poll results on November 8 as the model code of conduct is in place till then.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had yesterday said that the notification for the implementation of the OROP scheme for military veterans will be made “within days” of the Bihar poll process coming to an end.
“The government also has the option of filing a Special Leave Petition in Supreme Court for challenging the Delhi HC order. But the forces have requested the Ministry not to take this step and instead implement the HC order, as that would be a morale booster,” they said.

PTI

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