Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 3: The personnel of defence forces deployed in strategically important Ladakh region are all set to get special hearing on their service conditions and payment structures as the 7th Central Pay Commission is visiting the area from October 12.
Reliable sources told EXCELSIOR that 7th Central Pay Commission comprising Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur as Chairman, Vivek Rae as full time member, Dr Ratin Roy as part time member and Meena Agarwal as Secretary is visiting different areas of Ladakh region from October 12 to 16. The Commission will take stock of the issues vis-à-vis service conditions and pay structures confronting the personnel of defence forces.
The Commission had also planned its visit to Leh and Srinagar earlier but the same had to be rescheduled in view of the ravaging floods and now it will begin four-day visit of Leh from October 12. At present, no other part of the State has been included in the itinerary”, sources informed.
“There are lots of expectations from the 7th Pay Commission about redressal of pending grievances of the defence forces personnel pertaining to their service conditions and pay structures as its Chairman has served as Chairman of the Armed Forces Tribunal and is conversant with the issues related to defence forces”, they said.
The 7th Central Pay Commission was constituted by the Government of India on February 28 this year and it has been given 18 months from the date of its constitution to make its recommendations.
As per the Terms of Reference, the pay panel is required to examine, review, evolve and recommend changes that are desirable and feasible regarding the principles that should govern the emoluments structure, concessions and facilities/benefits as well as the retirement benefits of the personnel belonging to the defence forces with due emphasis on the aspects unique to these personnel.
According to the sources, the Commission will visit Chumur, Demchok, Turtuk, Siachen Base Camp and Daulat Beg Oldi etc areas of Ladakh to take stock of the hardships being faced by the personnel of Army, Air Force and Indo Tibetan Border Police in performing their duties in such difficult terrains.
The Commission would also visit some other areas and interact with defence forces personnel as well as officers to ascertain their grievances vis-à-vis pay and other benefits so that appropriate recommendations could be made to the Government of India for enhancement of their allowances. The special hearing to the defence forces would help in redressing their complaints vis-à-vis operations and other aspects related to their service”, sources said.
“It is imperative for the 7th Central Pay Commission to go through the hardships being faced by the defence forces personnel in performing their duties in tough terrain areas before making recommendations for enhancement in different allowances”, they said while disclosing that certain risk related allowances like Special Allowance in the Nature of Counter-Insurgence Allowance, Compensatory Modified Field Area Allowance (CMFAA) and Siachen Allowance are determined by the Central Pay Commission.
It is worthwhile to mention here that following widespread anger in the armed forces over long pending pay and pension anomalies and ‘unfair’ treatment from the previous Pay Commissions, the Union Government specifically incorporated a paragraph in the Terms and Reference of the 7th Pay Commission so as to lay due emphasis on the service conditions and payment structure of the defence forces personnel.
“The employees of Central Government departments posted in Ladakh would also try to make their representations to the visiting 7th Central Pay Commission as they too have their own grievances, which could not be addressed up to their expectations by the previous Pay Commissions”, sources informed.
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