39,000 Army officers await 2012 increment

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 14

Seeking rectification of an anomaly that has affected about 39,000 officers, the Army has written to the Controller General of Defence Accounts and reminded it that the error should have been corrected in August 2012 itself when the Ministry of Defence okayed the move.

In its letter, the Army has claimed that it had received a large number of representations about the provisions okayed by the government not being granted (by the CGDA).

As per directions by the Ministry of Finance and endorsed by the MoD, all officers in service as on January 1, 2006, were to get an additional increment. In July 2012, the Ministry of Finance issued a letter that Central Civil Pay Rules had been amended and July 1 was accepted as uniform date for annual increments for all employees.

It further said to bring parity, all employees whose increments were due between February and June 2006 may be granted one increment on January 1, 2006. Based on the Finance Ministry letter, the MoD issued its letter saying the same be implemented for the forces too. The Army has compiled details of all affected officers, some of whom may have retired, and sent a copy to the CGDA.

A senior functionary said most Army men held any post for not more than three years and there was no continuity or system of a follow-up. A matter that should have been sorted out automatically remained pending, forcing the Army to take it up, he said.