Military’s issues with pay panel ‘will be looked into’

Meeting Indian Air Force Chief Arup Raha and Navy Chief Sunil Lanba on Monday, defence minister Manohar Parrikar indicated that their reservations on the 7th Pay Commission recommendations would be “looked into if found genuine”.

“Besides saying that legitimate grievances would be looked into, the minister expressed the hope that good sense prevailed,” a defence ministry source told this newspaper, indicating that a dim view was being taken of the Chiefs’ decision on holding the recommendations in abeyance.

The three services chiefs, requesting the government to hold back the pay panel recommendations till the sticking points and anomalies had been resolved, had already communicated their decision to their formations. “The pay panel’s recommendations had been drawn after a lot of consultations and deliberations with all stake holders at all levels. Parity has definitely been kept in mind,” the source added. The two chiefs met the minister in his North Block office to elaborate on their grievances on the Pay Commission recommendations being “inadequate”, and not comparing favourably with what was being given to bureaucrats and the police. The Army Chief was not present as he was out of station.

It is reliably learnt that the three Chiefs of the Armed Forces had been seeking an audience with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the pay panel recommendations much before Tuesday when the detailed salary and emoluments were declared.