thestringshredder
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NEW DELHI: Amid the escalating rift between the armed forces and civilian bureaucracy over the ``defective pay fixation'' of military officers, defence minister A K Antony on Friday referred the dispute arising out of the Supreme Court verdict in the rank pay case to the attorney general.
After a top-level meeting, attended by the three Service chiefs and the defence secretary, Antony said the Army, Navy and IAF should approach the attorney general with ``their interpretation'' of the SC judgement by next week. Concurrently, the MoD will take ``its interpretation'' first to the finance ministry and then to the attorney general in a bid to resolve the dispute.
``The minister said the SC verdict will be implemented both in letter and spirit,'' said an official. The genesis of the standoff lies in the differing interpretations of the SC last September that had decided the rank pay case in favour of the retired officers who had fought the legal battle since 1996.
The apex court has called for re-fixation of pay for all officers who were eligible for rank pay ``with effect from January 1, 1986'', the date of implementation of the 4th Pay Commission. The court had fixed May 31 as the deadline for implementation of its order.
But serving and retired military officers contend the MoD has been dragging its feet, holding that it had a financial implication of Rs 1,624 crore, and had resorted to just ``selective'' implementation of the order.
IAF chief Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne, also the chairman of the chiefs of staff committee, had even written to Antony on May 27 seeking an ``early resolution of the anomalies'' raised by the Services. ``I consider implementation without removal of the infirmities, which virtually negate the intent of the court verdict, will at best amount to only a partial implementation of the court order,'' he said.
``The present approach to resolve the infirmities has caused an inordinate delay which has given rise to apprehensions that the delay may be intentional. It may be important to mention that the beneficiaries to this verdict include many of such officers who retired decades ago and do not have a long time to wait for their dues. It will be a grave injustice to these veterans if they pass on without getting their rightful arrears,'' he added.
Link - Antony refers military pay fixation battle to AG for resolution - The Times of India
After a top-level meeting, attended by the three Service chiefs and the defence secretary, Antony said the Army, Navy and IAF should approach the attorney general with ``their interpretation'' of the SC judgement by next week. Concurrently, the MoD will take ``its interpretation'' first to the finance ministry and then to the attorney general in a bid to resolve the dispute.
``The minister said the SC verdict will be implemented both in letter and spirit,'' said an official. The genesis of the standoff lies in the differing interpretations of the SC last September that had decided the rank pay case in favour of the retired officers who had fought the legal battle since 1996.
The apex court has called for re-fixation of pay for all officers who were eligible for rank pay ``with effect from January 1, 1986'', the date of implementation of the 4th Pay Commission. The court had fixed May 31 as the deadline for implementation of its order.
But serving and retired military officers contend the MoD has been dragging its feet, holding that it had a financial implication of Rs 1,624 crore, and had resorted to just ``selective'' implementation of the order.
IAF chief Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne, also the chairman of the chiefs of staff committee, had even written to Antony on May 27 seeking an ``early resolution of the anomalies'' raised by the Services. ``I consider implementation without removal of the infirmities, which virtually negate the intent of the court verdict, will at best amount to only a partial implementation of the court order,'' he said.
``The present approach to resolve the infirmities has caused an inordinate delay which has given rise to apprehensions that the delay may be intentional. It may be important to mention that the beneficiaries to this verdict include many of such officers who retired decades ago and do not have a long time to wait for their dues. It will be a grave injustice to these veterans if they pass on without getting their rightful arrears,'' he added.
Link - Antony refers military pay fixation battle to AG for resolution - The Times of India
