Armed forces agree to implement 7th pay commission

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 15

After a week-long difference of opinion over the implement enhanced salaries under the 7th Central Pay Commission pay, the armed forces have heeded the advice of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC) Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha has issued directions to all service headquarters asking them to issue orders for implementation of the 7th CPC.

This means that the soldiers will receive their new salary in their pay for September, payable in October.

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Parrikar has assured the forces that their four-key demands will be met and issue will be sorted out but the decision of the government has to be implemented.

Parrikar assured them that the "anomalies" they pointed out in the 7th CPC would be taken up at the "highest level".

Their core demands are entry level pay be hiked as its suppressed, disability pension be brought at par with other wing of the Government; the forces we allowed Non-functional financial upgrade (NFU) and Enhancement of Military Service Pay (MSP) for JCOs.

The implementation had been stopped on September 9 after the three services issued letters to their formations saying they have asked the Government to hold “in abeyance” the implementation of the CPC in view of the “unresolved anomalies”. The Tribune had first reported on the matter in its edition dated September 11.  

The ‘unresolved anomalies’ had surfaced in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) notification issued on September 6.

On September 12, Parrikar had asked the forces to implement the pay commission and grievances, if any, can be taken up latter.

The MoD had notified the new pay commission on September 6 and the CoSC had met on September 7 and decided to withhold the CPC pending ‘resolution of anomalies’.