Panel report may lead to discontent: Armed forces : The Tribune India

Join Whatsapp Channel

Rank Rankle in Forces Part-II

Panel report may lead to discontent: Armed forces

NEW DELHI: A storm is brewing in South Block, headquarters of the Ministry of Defence in the national capital. In view of the rank-parity committee’s draft, the armed forces have warned against violating “established equations”. They say it could cause “dissatisfaction” among forces and give rise to “avoidable litigation”.



Ajay Banerjee 

Tribune News Service 

New Delhi, October 21

 A storm is brewing in South Block, headquarters of the Ministry of Defence in the national capital. In view of the rank-parity committee’s draft, the armed forces have warned against violating “established equations”. They say it could cause “dissatisfaction” among forces and give rise to “avoidable litigation”.

The 21-page draft report of the committee headed by an additional secretary rank officer is on rank-equivalence norms between the armed forces and the civilians employed in the Armed Forces Headquarters, called the AFHQ cadre. The report has not yet been presented to the MoD. The armed forces are protesting vehemently. 

The Principal Personnel Officers Committee (PPOC), a body of the three armed forces, in a letter to the three-member committee on September 22, reiterated rank benchmarks and questioned the veracity of the documents submitted by the AFHQ cadre. The PPOC said the rank-parity claims of the AFHQ cadre are based on unsubstantiated documents largely based on a letter written by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in 1968. 

“Its veracity is in serious doubt,” stated the stinging protest letter. It cites a 2007 MHA letter which clarified that no such document exists to establish equivalence between defence officers and civilians except for the warrant of precedence. The same was reiterated by the Group of Ministers’ report in 2008. The armed forces have cited that the charter of the PPOC cleared by the Union Cabinet mandates policy matters of the AFHQ cadre. 

The AFHQ officials in their presentation to the committee have disputed this Cabinet memo dated 1974 and subsequent MoD letter in 2002. The PPOC has argued that the AFHQ cadre headed by a Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) has made various communications regarding status equivalence based on “nonexistent” precedence. “Gross misrepresentation seems to have been made regarding equivalence, cadre restructuring and creation of higher posts,” the letter from PPOC suggests while seeking that all such letters be examined for their appropriateness. 

Talking about ranks, it said Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs), who rise from the ranks, are mandated as gazetted ‘group B’ employees. Commissioned Officers are equal to ranks of all-India services and the IPS. 

In July, the Army had written to the MoD saying that JCOs are accorded gazetted status as per an Act of Parliament and have legally defined status. However, when posted at South Block, a JCO is issued an identity card equating him with group C, the lowest in the government employee cadre. 

Tomorrow: Helpless, despite announcements

Top News

Chief Judicial Magistrate's court in UP's Banda orders judicial inquiry into death of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari

UP court orders judicial probe into Mukhtar Ansari’s death

The CJM has sought the probe report within a month

‘Heart attack or poisoning’: The life and times of Mukhtar Ansari—crime and politics

‘Heart attack or poisoning’: The life and times of Mukhtar Ansari—crime and politics

Eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh are among the poorest regions...

Alka Rai, widow BJP MLA killed by Mukhtar Ansari, says 'justice has been served', visits Ram Mandir

Alka Rai, widow BJP MLA killed by Mukhtar Ansari, says 'justice has been served', visits Ram Mandir

Alka Rai is the wife of MLA Krishanand Rai, who was shot dea...

Cash-strapped Congress gets fresh IT notice of Rs 1,700 crore, say party insiders

Cash-strapped Congress gets fresh I-T notice of Rs 1,800 crore

Ajay Maken addresses a press conference

Special court convicts 7 people in BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case

Special court convicts 7 people in BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case

The proceedings against Atiq Ahmad, his brother and prime ac...


Cities

View All