Armed Forces Tribunal directs defence accounts to review salary of officers

Vijay Mohan

Chandigarh, August 14

The Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has directed the Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) to take a re-look at the pay revision of all officers that was done after the implementation of the Sixth and Seventh Central Pay Commissions (CPC).

“We direct the CGDA to review and verify the pay fixation of all those officers, of all three services, whose pay has been fixed as on January 1, 2006, including those who have retired, and re-fix their pay with the most beneficial option, with all consequential benefits, including re-fixing of their pay in the Seventh CPC and pension wherever applicable,” the tribunal ruled on August 5.

The order, which comes about 14 years after the pay revision, could have financial ramifications for thousands of serving and retired defence officers. The implementation of successive pay commissions have witnessed various anomalies and generated controversies, leading to litigation on some issues.

Disposing of two petitions filed by officers of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, the AFT’s Bench of Justice Rajendra Menon and Lt Gen PM Hariz has asked the CGDA to issue necessary instructions for this review and its implementation and file a detailed compliance report within four months.

The officers had contended that the government had committed a grave error by selectively applying the provisions of the Special Army Instructions issued in 2008.