7th Pay Commission – Armed Forces Bows Down – Agree to Implement – The defence ministry had issued an order implementing the SPC on September 5 without the key issues addressed.

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 pay commission.

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 defence ministry had issued an order implementing the SPC on September 5 without the key issues addressed. Following this the three services expressed their severe displeasure on some of the provisions of the SPC which they say would further downgrade the status of the forces with respect to their civilian counterparts and police.

The services issued a note issued to all personnel stating that they were “constrained” to request the government to hold the implementation of the 7th pay commission award “in abeyance” in view of anomalies which need to be resolved.

The development came after Raha, along with Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, met with Parrikar earlier this week. Parrikar assured them that the “anomalies” they pointed out in the 7th Pay Commission will be taken up at the “highest level”, defence sources said.

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.

Four key anomalies flagged by the services are Non Functional Upgrade (NFU), NFU pay fixation, Military Service Pay (MSP), common pay matrix for civilian and military services and allowances.

Source: IE